RWBY: Scars
by Donesses
Summary: Remnant is a harsh world; plagued by Grimm, raiders, criminals, & the racial tension between the Humans and Faunus. Team RWBY is a Hunter Team who want to try and better their world; to protect the innocent and downtrodden. But alongside their jobs as Hunters, RWBY have to come to terms with their pasts; their prejudices, abuse, neglect, and loss of innocence.
1. Red, White, Black, Yellow

**Hello to anyone reading this! I'm a fan of RWBY and I thought it would be fun to do a retelling of the show. Hope you enjoy!**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth. Done in memory of Monty Oum.**

 **RUBY**

A lone figure stood at the edge of a cliff, illuminated by the moon. Her blood red cape fluttered around as the harsh, icy wind gusted past her. She stared down at the stone grave below her. She lowered her hood, snowflakes falling onto her black and red hair.

"Hey mom," she said, smiling sadly. She rocked back and forth on her heels; coming here at night always made her nervous. "I'm doing pretty good at Signal. Uncle Qrow's been teaching me some new techniques for Crescent Rose," she laughed. "He almost got fired last week; something about telling the students to do whatever they want since he was hungover." She shivered, and pulled her cloak closer to her body. "I really miss you," she sighed. She opened the small pouch she carried with her and withdrew a single black rose. She knelt down before the grave and placed it on the snow. She felt hot tears begin to run down her cheeks, and she rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hand; the tears felt warm against her chilled skin. "Happy birthday, mom," she said.

Sniffling, she turned away from the grave and began to walk back towards the forest surrounding the cliff. The bare, black branches intertwined above her head, creating a canopy of dead wood that blotted out the moon's light. The girl heard cawing and spun around to find the source; it might be a young Nevermore calling out to other Grimm. Unable to locate the bird the girl shrugged and continued on her way. She walked for several minutes; the only sound being the crunch of the snow beneath her boots and her sniffling as she tried to stop crying.

She stepped into a clearing and immediately froze; a pack of Beowolves were in the clearing, tearing apart a deer and fighting over the meat. She began to back into the trees when she heard a sharp, loud crack reverberate across the clearing. She gasped and looked down; she had stepped on a branch. She looked back up and saw the pack staring at her, blood dripping from their snouts. Neither party moved.

One of the wolves, the alpha if she were to take a guess, let loose a howl and began to charge at her. With blinding speed the girl drew her weapon, aimed, and fired at the wolf. The top half of the wolf's head exploded into a shower of blood, brains, and skull fragments. The wolf slumped to the ground as the other members of the pack began to charge at the girl. The girl fired off another shot, blowing off one of the wolves head's, before leaping out of the way of one of the wolf's claws. She pressed a button on her weapon and it unfolded itself and took the form of a large, razor sharp scythe. The girl twirled the scythe around as she got into the stance her uncle had taught her. One of the wolves swiped at her and she swung her scythe, chopping off the limb. Blood gushed from the wound and splattered over the girl's face. She gagged at the smell but did not let it distract her. Before the wolf could attack her with its other claw she swung her scythe, decapitating it in one swift motion. She heard one of the wolves behind her and she ducked and rolled out of the way. The wolf stumbled over itself in confusion. The girl took this opportunity to cut the wolf in half, warm intestines and other organs spilling out of the dead wolf as it fell to ground.

She was breathing heavy now; this was her first real fight against the Grimm. But she refused to end up like the deer she saw earlier. Another wolf attacked her from the front and she jumped out of the way of the wolf's attack. As the wolf lunged past her she swung her scythe, taking out the wolf's legs. The wolf fell to the ground and let out an anguished scream. With sweat stinging her eyes the girl turned her attention to the two remaining wolves. They hadn't attacked her yet and had been circling while she dealt with their siblings. The two wolves glanced at each other before they began to attack her simultaneously, one from the right and one from the left. The girl grimaced and stood her ground, she was going to have to take them on at the same time. The two wolves leapt into the air, their claws outstretched and ready to tear her into a thousand meaty pieces. At the last second the girl swung her scythe in a circle, slicing off the hands of the two wolves. The wolves screamed and landed behind the girl. She spun around and barely had time to dodge one of the wolves before the other was practically on top of her. She dodged their leaps and snapping jaws before swinging her scythe; praying that she hit one of them. She felt her scythe make contact and one of the wolves fell to the ground, its jaw and lower head was ripped off; its tongue swung loosely and blood poured from the wound.

The final wolf stopped its attack for a moment to look at its fallen comrade. It turned to the girl and started at her; its eyes were full of unbridled hate. The girl gnashed her teeth together as she leaned against her scythe for support; she couldn't keep fighting for very long. The wolf let out a howl before leaping at her, its jaws wide open. The girl screamed and swung her scythe, splitting the wolf's head in half. The wolf's corpse fell to the ground, spasming and convulsing before going still.

The girl fell to her knees, gasping for breath. She looked around the clearing, and vomited at the sight of the carnage. After catching her breath, and cleaning her face, she stumbled to her feet and glanced over at the wolf she had chopped the legs off of. It was pitifully crawling towards her and growling. She collapsed her scythe back into its sniper rifle form and walked up to the wolf, pressing the muzzle against the wolfs temple. She pulled the trigger and the wolf's head disintegrated into a red, chunky mist.

The girl sighed and holstered her weapon. She left the clearing and made her way back home as quickly as possible. That was an ordeal she did not expect to go through on her mother's birthday.

 **WEISS**

She stepped onto the stage and into the blinding lights. She heard an announcer say her name and it was met with applause. She didn't care. She closed her eyes and began to sing, her mind wandering as she recited the song's she had been practicing for months.

Her father stared at her in shock, his eyebrows raised.

"Do you want to run that by me again?" he asked. She took a breath to steady her nerves and steal herself for the inevitable outburst.

"I will be attending Beacon Academy, in Vale." She bit her lip and watched her father. His face betrayed no emotion and this frightened her. He raised his hand, she flinched, and stroked his moustache.

"Why?" he finally asked.

"I want to be a Huntress." Surprise shot through her father's eyes.

"A Huntress?" She nodded. "Weiss that is too dangerous for you. You can barely handle Winter's training sessions when she's here, how do you expect to survive as a Huntress?" She didn't have a response for him. "Atlas Academy offers Huntress training. Why not go there so I can keep an eye on you?"

"No!" she said before clamping her mouth shut. Her father furrowed his brow.

"No?"

"I mean, why deal with all that paper work when I've already been accepted into Beacon?" she laughed nervously. Her father's face remained the same.

"Why wasn't I made aware of this? When did you apply? What does Beacon have that Atlas doesn't?"

 _It's far away from you_

"I didn't want to worry you about it and I applied a few months ago."

"And what does it have that Atlas doesn't?" he asked. Her father stared at her for several moments, awaiting her response. When he didn't get one he said, "I forbid you from attending Beacon. You are to remain here and work for me at the Company. It's bad enough Winter left; I refuse to let you throw your life away as well."

"But-!" she cried and took a step forward.

"Enough!" he raised his hand and Weiss backed away.

"Please father. What do I have to do to prove myself to you?" Her father scowled. He turned in his chair, his back to her. Weiss stood in the room, silently waiting for her father's response.

"I will consider letting you attend if you show me that you are capable of fighting a Grimm." She gulped but nodded her head.

"Understood father. What do you want me to do?"

"Follow me. My people at the lab have been working on something." He stood up from his chair and walked towards the door. Weiss nodded and followed her father out of the room.

She finished her first song and opened her eyes. The light blinded her for a moment and she blinked as her eyes readjusted. The crowd was applauding and cheering. She took a breath and began her second song.

The elevator they rode in was made of glass. She didn't like looking at her reflection but she would rather do that than look at her father. They rode in silence before curiosity got the better of her. "What is it that your, our, people are working on?"

"I've been having them run experiments on young King Taijitu's. Fusing them together to try and create a hive mind that we can control." Weiss cocked her head to the side.

"Is that legal?" Her father grinned.

"Why wouldn't it be? Would any judge in Atlas really try and have me locked away for researching how to better understand the Grimm and attempt to control them?" Weiss looked down.

"Will I be the first to fight it?"

"The first _person_. I had some Faunus volunteers test it out. They didn't make it, sadly." He chuckled.

The elevator reached its destination and they strolled out and began walking down the hallway towards the room where the experiment was being held. They stopped in front of a door branded with the Schnee Company logo. Her father pulled out a card and slid it into the door, unlocking it. They entered the room to find a scientist working at a computer terminal. She looked back and greeted Mr. Schnee. Weiss watched the two interact from a distance; she was nervous about whatever it was that her father had planned for her. The room had a window in it and she strained her neck trying to look into the room where her opponent was being held.

"Weiss," her father said. She looked over at her father who motioned towards the door at the far end of the room. She took a breath to steady her nerves and walked through the door. The room resembled a castle and her family's crest was plastered on the glass like walls. The room was dark, save for a single light were a lump of knight's armor sat. She slowly approached it, her heels clicking against the floor. She looked up at the light and saw that it was a replica of the moon. She stopped in front of the mound.

The mound of armor moved and stood up, causing Weiss to gasp; this Grimm was gigantic. It grabbed an equally gigantic sword and lifted it above its head. Weiss jumped away from the Knight before the blade fell, shaking the room. Weiss drew her sword, Myrtenestar, and placed a speed glyph on the ground below her. She felt herself become more energized and she lunged at the Knight. She stabbed at the chinks in the Knights armor, the back of the knee, the wrists, the ankles, anywhere she could harm it. The Knight had a hard time keeping up with her, she was too fast and agile.

Weiss came to a halt as the effects of the glyph wore off. The Knight took that opportunity to swing its sword at her. She raised her sword and parried the blow; the force of the attack sent her flying and she landed on the ground. She grunted in pain as she struggled to her feet. She looked up to see the Knight lunge at her. She barely had time to dodge the sword as it came crashing down, leaving a crater in the spot she was previously. The Knight swung its sword at her, tearing the floor apart. She continued to dodge the Knight's attacks, waiting for the opportunity for her to use her speed glyph again. She leapt in the air, summoned the glyph, and launched herself at the Knight. She stabbed at the open spot in the Knight's neck and plunged her blade as far as it could go. She saw the writhing, multisnaked organism as she withdrew her blade and back flipped off the Knight's armor. She landed and sneered at the Knight; black blood was pouring from the multitude of wounds she had inflicted.

The Knight swung its sword and she leapt above the blade. The Knight pulled back its arm and slammed its fist into Weiss' face. She went flying and slammed into a wall. She gasped for air; that punch had broken her aura. Her ears were ringing and she saw blood dripping onto her blouse. She looked up to see the Knight lumbering towards her. She struggled to her feet, leaning on her sword for support. If she kept fighting she would die. She shook her head; if she stopped now then her father would never let her go to Beacon.

Weiss straightened herself and pulled the trigger on her sword's handle; the revolver in the guard spun and landed on the Red Dust vial. Flames engulfed her blade and she swung her sword, creating a wall of fire between herself and the Knight. The Knight ran through the flame wall and charged at her. She pulled the trigger again, Blue Dust, and she slammed her blade into the ground, an ice spear sprung from the ground and impaled the Knight. The Knight dropped its sword and squirmed around, trying to free itself. Weiss pulled the trigger, Cyan, and summoned a twister to move the sword as far away from the Knight as possible. She pulled the trigger, Red, and melted the ice spear. The Knight fell to the ground, soaked in water, and looked up at her. She pulled the trigger, Yellow, and smiled. Lightning sprang from her blade and into the water. The Knight was electrocuted and writhed with pain, thousands of shrieks echoing from within the armor. The Knight fell to the ground, smoke billowing from its armor. Weiss stopped the lightning and looked over at the window where her father was watching.

He was scowling as he pressed the speaker button. "I'll consider it," he said.

She finished her song and watched as the audience sprung to their feet to applaud her. She curtseyed and waited for the cheering to stop. She knew her father hated these charity concerts she did but she didn't care. She wasn't going to have to see him ever again. She was free now.

 **BLAKE**

She sat beneath a tree, her eyes closed. She could hear her partner pacing in a line in the clearing; he wanted this mission to be over quickly. She wanted that as well. Her ears twitched at a faraway sound and her eyes opened. She saw that her partner hadn't heard the sound yet so she stood up. He looked over at her and asked,

"Is it time, Blake?" She nodded. He grinned and picked up a duffle bag before he donned his Grimm mask, concealing the top portion of his face. She grabbed her own mask from the ground and put it on. They nodded at one another before jogging out of the clearing and towards a cliff. The trees around them were scarlet and the falling leaves resembled spilt blood. They came to a stop at the edge of the cliff, startling a crow and causing it to fly away. A set of train tracks snaked their way through the red forest below them. Blake heard the train and saw it quickly growing closer. Blake looked over at her partner and they nodded. They leapt from the cliff side and free fell onto the train as it billowed past the cliff. They landed with a loud 'thud' and Blake had to grit her teeth; her aura took the brunt of the blow but it didn't make the landing any less painful. They made their way to a latch on the train's roof and climbed down into the room below.

The room was brightly lit and filled with crates marked with the logo of the Schnee Dust Company. Her partner got to his knees and unzipped the duffle bag. He pulled out a crude explosive and planted it on the containers. He zipped the bag up, slung it over his shoulder, and stood up.

They left the car and moved onto the next one. This one was dimly lit and Blake saw that there were two security guards standing in front of the crates. One had a shotgun and the other an assault rifle. They had entered quietly and had not been noticed yet. Blake looked over at her partner and put a finger to her lips. He nodded and slunk into the shadows. Blake drew her weapon, Gambol Shroud, and entered the shadows. She pulled out a silencer and screwed it onto the barrel of her weapon. She pulled a rock from her pocket and tossed it at a wall opposite of her. The guards heard the noise and went over to investigate. The first guard was searching for the source of the noise while the second one stood behind her. Blake snuck up to the second guard and grabbed him, placing her hand over his mouth to keep him from screaming. She raised her weapon and fired at the first guard. The shot hit her square in the back of the head and she fell to the floor. A pool of blood began to spread as Blake pressed a button and Gambol Shroud transformed from its gun form to its sword form. The guard was crying now and she felt his tears run down her hand. She raised her sword and placed it on the guard's throat. The guard cried even more and began to thrash about. A puddle of urine began to form at the guard's feet. She moved her hand from his mouth to his chest; holding him in place. Without hesitation she ran the blade across his throat. Hot blood gushed over her hand and the guard convulsed in her arms as he slowly died. Once she was sure he was dead she dropped him onto the ground next to his partner.

Her partner stepped into the light and looked at her handiwork admiringly.

"Nice job," he said.

"Thanks, Adam," she said. She wiped the blood and tears on her black blouse as Adam got to work setting the bombs. Once they were set they moved onto the next car.

The third car had security as well. Only the guards were Atlasian Mech's; too many of them to take on all at once in such small quarters. Adam motioned for Blake to exit the car and go into the next one. She nodded and left the car, got onto the roof, and went over to the next one. She waited a few moments and Adam exited the car through its door.

"Any problems?"

"None." Adam tossed the empty duffle bag and it flew away with the wind.

They entered the fourth car; their safe haven. Adam drew his sword and severed the car's connection to the rest of the train. After the train was out of eye sight he pulled the detonator from his pants pocket and pressed the trigger. An explosion appeared on the horizon and they heard the deafening boom several seconds later. Adam laughed at the sight. He turned to Blake and said

"You ready for the final part of the mission?"

"The final part?" She was confused; they had destroyed the cargo and dealt a huge blow to the Schnee's, what else was there? He drew his sword.

"We go into the crew's quarters and slaughter every filthy human in there." Blake's eyes shot open in surprise.

"Why? They haven't done anything." She couldn't see it but she could tell Adam was scowling.

"What's with the hesitation? You killed those two guard without a problem."

"That's different Adam! They were armed and would have killed us!" she shouted. Adam sheathed his sword. Blake had a flicker of hope that she had convinced him. He raised his hand and back handed her across the face. She fell to the ground, grunting in pain and shock. Her Grimm mask fell to the floor. She looked up at Adam; confusion and pain in her eyes. She placed a hand at the place he had smacked her. "Why?" she asked. He got to his knees and she scrambled back. He raised his hand, his index finger pointing at her.

"What have I said about raising your voice to me?"

"N-not to do it," she whimpered. He had yelled at her before but this was the first time he had ever struck her. He stood up and offered her his hand. She gingerly took it and he helped her up.

"We're going into that cart, and we're going to butcher those humans. Understood?" She nodded her head. They left the car. As they stood outside the cart Blake looked into the port hole. The people inside looked confused and frightened. Some were crying and others were on their scrolls, trying to call for help. She looked at Adam, he was licking his lips in anticipation. She took a deep breath and said,

"Okay." She grabbed a hold of Adam and threw him back into the previous car. He yelled in surprise as he landed. Blake drew her weapon and severed the connection between the two cars. Adam stood up and ripped off his Grimm mask; anger and betrayal flashing in his eyes.

"What are you doing?! You can't do this Blake! The humans will never accept you! They will hate you! You need me! You're nothing without me! BLAKE!" His voice grew quieter as the car disappeared from view. Blake sighed and wiped away the tears. She tore off a ribbon from her arm and tied it around her ears, making a bow. She took a deep breath and opened the door. The people inside stared at her, not sure if she was there savior or executioner. She smiled and said,

"Don't worry, I'm here to help."

 **YANG**

The roar of a motorcycle echoed throughout the empty street as the girl drove down the road. She came to a stop in front of a night club; loud, bassy music could be heard even from outside. She removed her helmet, turned off the engine and kicked in the brake. Her younger sister watched as she got off the bike. She looked back at her sister and said,

"Watch Bumblebee for me will ya? This will only take a sec." Her sister gave a mock salute and the girl giggled. She strode towards the entrance and heard cawing as a bird flew away. The bouncer looked her over and nodded his head. The music grew louder as she got closer to the club.

A set of doors opened and she smiled at the sight before her; she loved clubs. The room was dark and a huge mob of people were dancing on the floor below her. A dj wearing a bear costume stood at the far end of the room, his head bobbing to the beat of the bass. Red and white strobe lights flashed throughout the room and on four glass pillars topless women were gyrating to the rhythm of the music. She liked the sight but she wasn't here for pleasure; there was someone she had to find. She walked down the crystal stairs, dodging a man who started to barf on his way out. She made her way over to the bar, noticing an orange haired man in a white coat talking to the man she was there to see. The orange haired man walked away and headed towards the exit. Two girls dressed in Gothic Lolita clothes stood next to the man she needed. He waved them away and sat down at the bar. She took that as her cue and walked over to the man, sitting down in the seat next to him.

The bartender looked at her and she said

"Strawberry Sunrise, hold the ice. And throw in one of those little umbrellas." The man next to her looked over at her. He raised an eyebrow.

"How old are you?"

"Old enough," she winked. The man snorted in disbelief but glanced at her ass all the same. The bartender returned and handed her her drink. He forgot the umbrella. She let it slide and drained the glass; she loved how sweet it was. She put down the empty glass and threw some money on the counter. She turned her attention to the man next to her. "Word on the street is that you know everyone in this city, Junior." He eyed her warily.

"Give or take a few people. Don't know you though. You got a name, sweet cheeks?"

"I go by several names," she smiled sweetly. She grabbed his crotch, squeezing his balls. He let out a high pitched squeal as she squeezed. "But you can call me 'The Bitch who ripped off your nuts'." She pulled out her scroll and shoved it in his face. There was a picture of a raven haired woman with crimson eyes on it. She wore black and red armor. "Tell me everything you know about her. Now." She squeezed, hard. She saw the bartender put his hand under the counter and she guessed that he was alerting the security about what was happening.

"I swear to Dust I have no idea who she is!" he yelped. She scowled and squeezed harder.

"Wrong answer." He screamed in pain again. She saw out of the corner of her eye that Junior's goons were making their way through the crowds towards her. They did a poor job concealing the hatchets, machetes, and knives they had on them.

"Please, I don't know anything! Let them go!" She couldn't tell if he was lying or not but she didn't have the time to find out. She let go and left her seat. Junior fell to the floor and scrambled over to his lackeys. They helped him to his feet and he glared at her. "You're dead, bitch." She smiled at him coyly.

"Isn't there _something_ I can do to make it up to ya?" She giggled. She saw Junior glance at her cleavage and then at her lips.

"I might have something in mind."

"Why don't you come whisper it in my ear?" Junior shrugged his shoulders and stepped closer to her. She grinned and kicked him in the crotch. He fell to the ground and she punched him in the face; the force of the punch tossing him a few meters away. His goons stared at her in shock as Junior lay on the ground. He pointed at her and shouted

"Tear the bitch apart!" before passing out. The goons turned towards her and charged. She grinned and pressed a button on her bracelets. They transformed into her gauntlets, Ember Celica. The first goon had an axe and swung it at her. She dodged it effortlessly and grabbed him by the back of the shirt. She threw him over the railing and into the crowd of dancing people below. The crowd scattered and people screamed. Some ran out of the club, others ran for cover, and others found a good place to record the fight on their scrolls.

She grinned as a goon with a machete swung at her. She blocked it with her gauntlet and kicked him in the shin. He crumpled to the floor and she kneed him in the face, knocking him out cold. Two goons went after her, both with knives. She grabbed one by the wrist and kicked the other in the stomach. She elbowed the man in the ribs until he let go of his knife and then she punched him in the jaw. The other goon got up from where she kicked him and charged at her while a goon with an axe tried to attack her from behind. She sidestepped both of them, grabbed the knife wielding goon and kicked him into the axe wielding man. They fell to the floor in a defeated heap.

The bottles on the bar wall exploded as gunfire rained down. She quickly found cover and saw that the dj was firing at her with an assault rifle. She waited until he needed to reload before sprinting out of cover and toward the dj's stand. The dj, panicked at the sight of her, dropped his ammo magazine and scrambled to find it. She kicked the man in the stomach before grabbing him by the back of his costume. She slammed his head into the turntables several times before tossing him onto the dance floor.

She saw that the two Gothic Lolita's were back and were looking up at her from the dance floor. She leapt onto the dance floor, smiling wickedly. The two girls seemed unimpressed and charged at her. She saw now that the red one had long blades on her wrist and the white one had long blades on her boots. The red one swung at her and she dodged the blow. She wasn't able to evade the attack from the white one and she got kicked in the stomach. She fell to the ground and grunted. She looked up and saw the white one was going for another kick. She caught her foot and pulled the trigger on her gauntlets. A shotgun blast fired from her wrist and into the girl. The girl had a look of terror as her aura broke. She spun the girl around and threw her off the dance floor; if she was smart she would stay down.

The red one came at her, swinging her claws with blinding speed. She ducked, dodged, and parried as best she could but the girl was able to land several hits on her. The girl swung a claw at her and she deflected it with her gauntlet. She quickly twisted her hand and grabbed the girl's arm. The girl scowled and swung her other claw at her gut. She grinned and caught the arm. The girl's eyes widened as she realized her mistake. She winked at the red girl before head-butting her, knocking her unconscious.

The red girl slumped to the floor and she looked around the club. The people that were hiding looked afraid of her but the people on their scrolls looked like they wanted her autograph. She flashed them a pair of gun hands before strolling out of the club. The bouncer gave her a weird look as she left but said nothing. Her sister was still on the bike but was playing on her scroll.

Her sister looked up and asked,

"You find what you need, Yang?" Yang shook her head before getting on her bike. She put her helmet on and revved the engine.

"You want to go get something to eat? I'm starving." Her sister nodded her head as she put on her own helmet. They peeled out of the club and drove off into the night.


	2. Ruby Rose

She hummed along to her music as she turned the page of the magazine she was reading. She skimmed over the pages as she tried to find the article she had picked the magazine up for. Something about the Schnee heiress leaving Atlas, a White Fang attack in Vale's forests, Raider attacks in Mistral's outskirts, blah, blah, blah, usual news garbage they put in these kind of things.

She scratched her chin as she flipped through some more pages. A grin spread across her face as she found the article; the new high impact anti-personnel sniper rifles being tested by the Atlesian military. Effective up to three thousand meters, capable of using any elemental Dust round. Oh yeah, she wanted to try this thing out.

She felt someone firmly tap her on the head and she swatted their hand away; she already told the old man running the store she was just killing time till the movie she was seeing with her friends was playing, she wasn't going to buy anything. She felt her hood get ripped down and she glared up at the person responsible, lowering her head phones.

"What?" she asked, annoyed.

A strange, angry looking man in a black suit with a machete in hand stood before her.

"I said do you have a death wish or something kid? Get off the floor and put your hands in the air!" She cocked an eyebrow, and peeked around him. She saw another man in a black suit filling up some kind of canister thing at the liquid Dust station; a large knife hung at his waist. She looked up at the man.

"Are you robbing this place?" He pointed the tip of his machete at her face.

"Yes! And if you don't feel like having your body dumped in a gutter, do as I say!" She nodded in understanding before her leg shot out, striking the man in his shin. He collapsed with a grunt, and she was on her feet before he could react. She kneed him in the face, knocking him to the floor. He groaned in pain, and she kicked his machete out of his reach.

She saw the man's friend staring at her in shock before drawing his knife. She narrowed her eyes at him; it was too cramped in here for her to use her own weapon. The man took a tentative step forward before making a becoming motion, trying his best to seem intimidating. Oh he didn't know what kind of mistake he had just made.

She zipped towards him, faster than he could keep track of and slammed into him, hurling the both of them through the store window. She head-butted the man in the nose once they landed, hopefully knocking him out cold.

She stood up and looked back at the store. A group of men in black suits were gawking at her while a man in a white jacket with orange hair stood scowling at the counter, a cigar hanging from his lips. The men looked over at the orange haired man and he motioned towards her with his head. They glanced at each other, uneasy, before filing out of the building.

She un-holstered her weapon, and her scythe sprang into place. A look of fear appeared for a moment in the faces of the men before one of them charged at her with his machete. She sidestepped the man's clumsy swing and slammed the base of her scythe shaft into his face; knocking him to the ground, blood dripping from his nose. Another man charged at her with an axe. She caught the blow effortlessly, and swirled her scythe, retching the axe from the man's hands. Using the momentum of the swing she slammed the base of her scythe into the man's stomach, launching him several meters away where he lay groaning in pain.

She yelped as she felt a bullet graze her shoulder; glad her aura hadn't broken from the shot. She looked over at the final man to see him aiming at her with his pistol. She zipped towards him, zigzagging, and her movements a blur to the man. A speed semblance was rather handy in these sort of situations. She slammed her the base of her scythe into the man, launching him backwards and into the brick walls of the building. He slumped down the wall, his body limp.

The man with orange hair stood in the doorway, a cane in one hand, and a suitcase in the other hand. He looked at the groaning bodies before looking at her.

"Well Little Red, I should really be thanking you. I'll be getting my money back for these worthless droogs." He raised his cane, the end aimed at her. She braced herself for whatever he had planned. "Now I'm sure you want to stay and play some more but I have a flight to catch. So ta-ta for now." She saw him pull a trigger on the cane and a grenade was launched towards her. She leapt back, the heat from the explosion washing over her as she raised her arms in front of her. Shrapnel rained over her body, her aura absorbing the hit from each piece. She landed, gritting her teeth in pain as smoke billowed past her.

Once the smoke cleared she quickly glanced around, and spotted him climbing a ladder on the side of a building. She looked over at the store entrance to see the old man that ran the store on his scroll.

"You got this covered?" she asked, motioning to the men with her scythe. He nodded at her and started talking into his scroll.

With that she sprinted towards the building, and started climbing the ladder two at a time, trying to close the distance between herself and him.

She reached the top of the building and saw the man jump into the side of a Bulkhead; the ship throwing up dust and gravel from the rooftop. She squinted her eyes as the man dropped the briefcase and started to sarcastically clap. A sadistic grin crept up his face.

"You've got spirit Red; I like that. Unfortunately, this is the end of the line for you." He raised his cane again and fired.

Her eyes widened as the grenade landed in front of her feet; her aura was too weak to take a hit like this. She threw up her arms and squeezed her eyes shut as the grenade exploded; the man's maniacal laughter filling her ears.

She didn't feel a thing.

She opened her eyes to see herself encased in a purple bubble. Confused, she looked over and saw a blonde woman with glasses and a riding crop standing next to her, a purple glow around the end of the riding crop. The woman flickered her wrist and the bubble disappeared and she was back on the ground.

She saw the man's face twist with fear before shouting "Huntress!" and running to the front of the ship. The blonde woman sneered and flicked her wrist; a cloud appearing above the airship and raining purple icicle's down onto it, stabbing into the metal.

A woman, cloaked in shadow with glowing orange eyes, appeared in the bay door. The blonde's sneer deepened.

She collapsed her scythe into its sniper form and took aim at the woman. She fired three shots in rapid succession; one at her head, one her heart, and one her gut. She gasped when she saw the woman deflect each shot with her hand, her movements almost inhumanly fast. Those orange eyes narrowed and she saw an orange light appear beneath her.

"Move!" The blonde yelled, shoving her out of the way as the spot they had been erupted; fire spewing upwards in a spiraling pillar. The heat was excruciating as the fire swirled upwards. The blonde stood in front of her, her arms spread out in front of her before she flicked her wrist at the fire twister. A purple barrier encased the fire, slowly subduing it.

Once the fire was extinguished the blonde sighed in exhaustion and looked over at where the Bulkhead had been. It was gone now. She scowled and turned towards her.

"You're a Huntress, right?" she asked. The blonde nodded curtly. Ruby smiled and held her rifle out in front of her as an offering. The blonde cocked an eyebrow and looked at her strangely. "Can I get your autograph?" The blonde's eyes narrowed as she glared at her. She grabbed her wrist, her grip a vice.

"No, and you are in a lot of trouble young lady."

"Wha- what are you talking about?" she asked. The blonde marched her over to the edge of the building and pointed down with her riding crop. Police were talking to the store owner as the men she had fought were being put on stretchers and helped into ambulances.

"Go and talk to those officers, I have to clean up this mess." The blonde ordered. Ruby groaned but a cold glare from the Huntress quieted her and she begrudgingly holstered her weapon and began the climb down. She dragged her feet as she made her way to the police.

One of the officers noticed her and pulled their gun, aimed at her.

"Hands in the air!" She raised her hands, confused. The officer's partner came over to her and took her weapon before cuffing her hands behind her back.

"What are you doing? I saved that guys store; those guys were gonna rob him!"

"We're aware and they'll be seeing time. But so will you small fry."

"What! Why?" The officer started to drag her over to his car.

"Assault with a deadly weapon, attempted murder, and destruction of property."

"You have got to be kidding me!" She said. He opened the back door and shoved her in. He slammed it shut. "Oh come on, I saved that guy's store!" She said. The police ignored her and talked with the store owner. After a few minutes they ended their conversation and got into the car.

She kept silent, her heart beating a mile a minute and a sense of dread gnawing at her belly, as they drove to the police station. They parked at the station and they escorted her to a small room with a large black mirror on one side of the wall. It was poorly lit and consisted of a single table and three chairs; one on one side, two on the other. She was sat down in the single chair and uncuffed. She rubbed her wrists as the officers took their seats. The one who cuffed her leaned forward.

"Care to tell us why you were out this late, son?" She narrowed her eyes at him; how dare he.

"Is it illegal for a girl to go out with her friends these days?" She spat. The man scowled, and she did her best to not shrink back.

"It is when they go out and pick a fight and nearly kill five people." He said coldly.

"But they started it!"

"We don't give a shit who started it!" He snapped. She flinched. The officer sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before his partner spoke up.

"Where'd ya learn to fight like that? You in some gang?" The door opened then and the blonde Huntress from earlier walked in, a gray haired man in green hobbling on a cane following after her.

"Yes, where ever did you learn to fight like that Ms. Rose?" The blonde huntress motioned for the two officers to leave and they did so, the one who cuffed her casting an angry glance at her before the door shut. The Huntress and the man took the seats. He stared at her eyes intently and she started to fidget under his gaze. "Are those contacts painful?"

"C-contacts?" she asked. He cocked his head to the side.

"Your eyes are naturally that silver?" She nodded. A ghost of a smile appeared on his face. "Interesting." He looked over at the Huntress and she pulled out her scroll. Playing on it was security footage of her fight at the store. "A dual function scythe is a dangerous weapon; one only wielded by the most skilled combatants, and to the extent of my knowledge, there is only one other wielder in Vale. Where did you learn to use this weapon?"

"At Signal Academy. I always saw my Uncle Qrow using his so I wanted to be like him when I got to make my weapon." The man nodded in understanding.

"Qrow Branwen is a teacher at Signal as well isn't he? Was he the one who taught you?" She nodded.

"Yeah. I was complete garbage with it until he took me under his wing." The man chuckled at that.

"Well he has trained you well. So tell me, what's an adorable girl such as yourself doing at a combat school? Do you plan on joining the police?" She shook her head.

"I want to be a Huntress." The smile appeared again.

"You want to dedicate your life to defending this world from the Grimm and any other force that conspires against the natural order?" She nodded her head, a smile appearing on her face as well.

"Yeah, I have about two years left at Signal, and once I'm one there I plan on applying to Beacon Academy."

"Why Beacon? Why not Haven, or Shade, or Atlas?"

"Well, my Uncle Qrow graduated from there, and so did both of my parents, and my sister is going there now too. Just seems like it would be weird if I went to any of the others. Plus the others are so far away."

"Why do you want to be a Huntress? You must know how dangerous it is." She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"Ever since I was little my older sister has told me stories about how amazing our mom was; what an amazing Huntress she was. And my Uncle Qrow would share some of his stories about his adventures whenever he was over. And I always loved reading books about the adventures Hunters would get into. I guess, I just want to go on adventures and be a hero like in the books I loved growing up." The blonde Huntress cocked an eyebrow.

"I take it you know who I am?" The man stated. She nodded her head; she had recognized him from the brochure that Yang had brought with her when she had visited the school.

"You're Ozpin; Headmaster of Beacon." He offered his hand and she shook it politely. "Nice to meet you, sir!"

"The feeling is mutual, Ruby. So you want to be a student at my school?"

"More than anything else in the world, sir." Ozpin looked over at the woman and she rolled her eyes with a groan. "I believe I can pull some strings and get you out of this predicament. Let's get you home so we can get the paper work settled." He stood up and hobbled out of the room. She followed after him with a smile. She gave the two police officers who had arrested her a smug look as she walked past them, and out of the station.

There was a car waiting for them outside of the station where Ruby found her scythe waiting for her in the backseat.

It was almost dawn by the time they made it to Ruby's home at the island of Patch. The lights were on and Ruby bit her lip as she unlocked the door; oh she was in for an earful from her father. She opened the door and let Ozpin in before following in.

Her father was sitting in his chair, asleep. Zwei, the family corgi, was sleeping in his bed near the couch. Ozpin hobbled over to her father and gently shook him awake. Her father snorted and jolted in his seat, his eyes groggily opening.

"Oz? What are you doing here?" he asked, stifling a yawn.

"Hello, Taiyang, it has been too long. I wanted to discuss some things about your daughter, Ruby." Taiyang looked past Ozpin and at Ruby, who waved sheepishly. He frowned before getting out of his seat and pulling Ruby into a hug.

"Don't ever stay out late like that again; you had me worried sick that something had happened to you." Ruby returned the hug.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stay out this late, stuff happened and it was all out of my control." Taiyang broke the hug when he heard Ozpin clear his throat. They looked over at him as he withdrew several folded up pieces of paper. He took a seat on the couch.

"Time is of the essence so I shall keep this brief. I want your daughter to attend Beacon Academy this semester. I believe she has what it takes to be a Huntress, and would like her at my school." He placed one of the papers on the coffee table. "Since she is under seventeen I need you to sign this waver saying we cannot be held accountable for any dismemberment, maiming, or death that may occur during her time there." Taiyang went over and looked over the paper. He sighed, and lowered his head before looking over at her.

"Are you sure this is what you want, Ruby?" he asked. She nodded her head.

"More than anything, dad." He gave her a tired smile before turning back to the paper. Ozpin offered him a pen, which he took. He hesitated but signed the paper. Ozpin placed the second paper on the table.

"This second form states that we shall be receiving her transcripts from Signal Academy." Her father signed it. With that Ozpin took the two pieces of paper, folded them up, and placed them in his coat pocket. He gave Ruby a smile. "Congratulations Ms. Rose. You are now the youngest student to attend Beacon Academy. I would pack quickly as the airship leaves," he looked at his watch. "In four hours. Don't be late." He left then.

Ruby squealed in delight and embraced her father, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She said, nuzzling her father's cheek. Her father chuckled and ruffled her hair.

"Don't mention it. Go get packed. Oh, and don't forget to grab your medicine."

Ruby let go of her father and quickly made her way to her room. She grabbed her duffle bag and started to stuff it full of her clothes, and her scythe's cleaning kit. She went to the bathroom, and grabbed her toiletries. She opened the mirror in the bathroom and pulled out her medicine bottles and put them in.

Sure that she had everything she would need she went back out to the living room. Her father was standing by the door, his keys in hand.

"Ready?" He asked. She nodded.

She felt someone shaking her shoulder and she opened her eyes. The sun was shining bright through the car window and a huge airship was docked in front of them. People a little older than her were filing up the gangway and into the ship.

"Thanks, dad!" she said, giving him a hasty hug, before bolting from the car and running towards the ship, her bag slung over her shoulder.

She got in line and made her way up the gangway, waving bye to her father before entering the ship. It was cavernous inside the ship and a multitude of seats and couches were set up along the walls and against the large windows. There was a large stairway, where people were moving about. Holotelevisions were set up on some of the windows and people were watching tv and playing video games.

She took a seat on one of the couches and pulled out her scroll. She pressed her sister's icon and started to type.

"Hey Yang, where are u?" She scooted away from a couple as they sat down on the couch, talking loudly. Her scroll chimed and she looked down at it.

"On my way to Beaccon. Dad told u I was leaving 2day right?"

"I knew when u were leaving. Im on here 2"

":O holy shit no way!" Ruby giggled at her sister's response. "O hey I see u!" Ruby looked up and over at the end of the ship. Her sister was waving at her. Ruby waved back before making her way over to her. Her sister pulled her into a hug, lifting her off the ground and crushing her as she nuzzled her face against her.

"Oh I can't believe I get to go to Beacon with my baby sister! This is so awesome! How'd you get in?" Ruby wheezed and patted her sisters back.

"Can't breathe." She said. Yang let her go and Ruby took a breath to refill her aching lungs.

"Sorry," Yang said with a smile. She took a seat on the couch near them. "So what are you doing here? You're two years behind, aren't you?" Ruby took a seat next to her.

"Well I stopped a robbery while waiting on my friends to go see that movie, then the police arrested me, then Ozpin showed up, told me he wanted me to go to his school, and bailed me out."

"And here I thought I would be the one end up getting arrested one day. But that's so awesome Ruby! I'm so proud of you!" She looked away, kicking at nothing.

"It was nothing." Yang wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into another embrace.

"Doing good on a test is nothing. What you did wasn't nothing. Why aren't you more excited about this?" Ruby looked down at her lap.

"I am excited. It's just…"

"Just what?"

"I don't want anyone to treat me any different. I don't want people thinking I'm special or anything other than a regular girl."

"You are special Ruby."

"If you say so." She said. She looked over at the closest tv. The news was on and Ruby cocked her head as a mugshot of that orange haired man appeared on the screen.

"The attempted robbery is believed to have been led by known Dust trafficker, Roman Torchwick, and several members of the Junior Mafia." The picture changed from his mugshot to a stilled image of Ruby kicking that one guy in the shin. "The robbery was thwarted by a young, red hooded vigilante. They were last seen being taken into police custody and it is unknown whether they will face prosecution for damaging the store. A warrant has been issues for Torchwick's arrest, and the police are looking for public assistance with finding him. Back to you Lisa." A silver haired woman in a purple blouse appeared on the screen.

"Thank you Cyril. A Faunus Rights protest in Vale was interrupted when a Dust store known for refusing Faunus customers was blown up, injuring the Faunus protestors and the pro-human activists there as well. A representative from the Vale branch of the White Fang has claimed responsibility for the attack but Supreme Leader Khan has condoned the attack; claiming that they did not order an attack that would harm any of their Faunus sib-" The tv cut out and people groaned in annoyance. A hologram of the blonde Huntress who had saved Ruby appeared where the screen had been.

"Hello potential students my name is Glynda Goodwitch; I am the Combat Professor at Beacon Academy. I wanted to be the first to greet you and say what a privilege it shall be to teach the future Hunters of Remnant. Each of you have displayed the courage, tenacity, skill, and leadership to be accepted to our prestigious academy. Those of you who survive our rigorous entrance exam shall receive the best education available in Remnant. Good luck." She smiled and the hologram disappeared, the television screen reappearing.

The ship jolted as the engine started and Ruby felt her stomach lurch as they ascended into the air. She got up from her seat and went over to the window, watching in awe as they soared over Vale city, and towards the lake and cliffs were Beacon academy awaited. She heard Yang walk up next to her, resting an arm on her shoulder as they watched the buildings grow smaller and smaller.


	3. The Shinning Beacon

The blonde haired boy banged on the bathroom door furiously, trying his hardest to not vomit all over the floor. He hated flying as it always made him sick. He heard a man giggling and a different male voice shout out "Occupied!" The blonde boy stepped away from the door and looked around the ship's deck, trying to look for an open window or anything that he could throw up in. There, near the entrance, a trash can. He sprinted towards it as he felt the ship start to slow down and come to a halt all together as he threw his head into the basket and vomited out his breakfast. He heard people gagging, and laughing as he slumped to the floor, bile and bits of undigested cereal running down his chin.

* * *

"Please gather all of your belongings, exit the ship and make your way toward Beacon Academy." The mechanical voice repeated itself several times as Ruby grabbed her duffle bag and followed Yang out of the ship. She saw a blonde boy zoned out next to a garbage can, mumbling about how he they wished they had taken a bus instead.

They strode down the gangway, Ruby bounced from her spot to try and get a look at Beacon. Her amazon of a sister however, blocked her sight no matter how high she bounced. Yang reached the end of the gangway and turned around to face Ruby.

"Close your eyes, 'kay?" Ruby scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.

"Why?"

"I want your first up close look of Beacon to be something you always remember. You've wanted to come here your whole life and I don't want the view to be spoiled by a huge crowd of people blocking your sight." Ruby smiled at Yang before closing her eyes. She stepped off the gangway and took Yang's hand.

Yang led her forward; Ruby could hear the huge crowd of people walking around her and the she could smell sea salt. After a short while she felt Yang come to a halt.

"Okay, open your eyes." Ruby opened her eyes and felt her jaw drop. Beacon Academy was huge, gigantic even. The school resembled an ancient castle and was steel gray. Black tiled roofs covered the towering spires and statues of ancient Remnant heroes littered the courtyard. The grass was a healthy green color and looked incredibly soft. A moat surrounded the courtyard and Ruby could see water gardens further ahead, along with a forest filled with pine trees. Red banners fluttered on lampposts, each one barring the school's crest; two crossed battle axes. A gigantic tower stood in what seemed to be the center of the school, green stained glass windows covered the tower and it was decorated with yellow orbs that floated through the columns and pillars.

Yang watched her sister with a smile. "Is it everything you dreamed it would be?" Ruby continued to stare at the school as she vigorously nodded her head. Yang chuckled and closed Ruby's mouth. "Might wanna keep track of that Ruby, don't need you drooling all over the floor." Ruby looked away from the school and sheepishly scratched the back of her head.

"Sorry. It's just…" She turned back to the school "I'm really here. At Beacon. I still can't believe it." Yang grabbed her sister's shoulder and pulled her in for a half hug.

"Believe it sis, cause you're about to own this school." Ruby rolled her eyes and broke the hug. A beeping noise came from Yang's jacket and she pulled out her scroll. She read the message on it before putting it back. She looked over at a group of people standing beneath a tree. One waved at her and she waved back. "So, uh, I gotta go. My friends are here and we sorta already made plans for the day. See ya later, 'kay?" Before Ruby could give her response Yang ran over to her friends and they started to make their way towards the school. Ruby stood looking confused before backing up.

Ruby bumped into something and she heard a girl scream. She spun around and saw a girl standing before her, an empty Sundoe cup in her hand, the contents spilled all over her white dress. The girl looked up from the stain on her dress and glared at Ruby, her icy blue eyes filled with wrath.

"What do you think you're doing?!" the girl screeched, tossing the empty cup to the ground. Ruby flinched and backed away, nervously trying to stammer out an apology.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"Sorry? Sorry?! You think 'sorry' is going to fix my clothes? It's going to stain and do you know how expensive this combat skirt was?!" Ruby twiddled her fingers.

"Really expensive?" The girl glared at her. The coldness radiating from her sent a chill down Ruby's spine.

"You have no idea." The girl took a step towards her and Ruby noticed for the first time the rapier at the girl's waist. She gulped and tried to back away.

"Leave her alone, Schnee." Ruby looked over the girl's shoulder and saw a new girl standing there, dressed in black. She was tall, with long legs and arms. A worn out hiking backpack was slung over her shoulders and she held a book in one hand. The girl in white spun around at the mention of her name. She glared at the new girl.

"This doesn't concern you. This, this child-!"

"Was just standing there minding her own business when you ran into her, spilling that overpriced swill all over yourself." The girl turned red before turning on her heels and storming off.

"Just leave me alone you dolts!" she shouted as she left. Ruby sighed and turned towards the girl in black.

"Thanks. Don't know what that girl's problem was." The girl in black watched the girl in white before looking at Ruby.

"She's a Schnee; what else can you expect." Ruby cocked her head.

"Schnee? Like the Schnee Dust Company?" The girl in black nodded her head.

"That's right." She looked back at the girl in white, her amber eyes narrowing in disgust. "That piece of work was Weiss Schnee, heiress to the company." Ruby looked at Weiss, who was now just a white dot in the sea of people she had lost herself in.

"So, uh, if you're not busy do you want to hang-" Ruby looked over at the girl to find that she had disappeared. "Out." Ruby sighed and looked down. She heard someone walk up to her and clear their throat. She looked up. Before her stood a boy wearing tattered jeans, a black hoodie, and worn out sneakers. He had sky blue eyes and messy blonde hair. He was smiling. He looked oddly familiar.

"Need a friend?" Ruby smiled and nodded. It clicked in her mind and she blurted out

"You puked on the ship!" The boys smile became a grimace.

* * *

Weiss shoved the bathroom door open and stormed inside. She threw her suitcase on the floor and unzipped it, pulling out a pair of blue jeans and a white blouse. She angrily took off her bolero jacket and stripped off her dress. She folded it neatly and shoved it into her suitcase. She glanced at the mirror and stopped when she saw her reflection. It was still in her dress and was smirking at her. She sighed and stood at the sink, staring at the mirror.

"What do _you_ want?"

"Oh nothing. Just enjoying the fact that you haven't been here for more than five minutes and have already made two enemies." The reflection laughed. Weiss looked down at the sink.

"It's not like it's my fault. That little brat spilled coffee all over my clothes." The reflection cocked an eyebrow.

"Right. And you going ballistic over a coffee stain was her fault too." Weiss glared at her reflection.

"So what if I overreacted? That was an expensive dress. Besides, that other girl had no right to get involved." The reflection threw up her hands in mock fear.

"Oh no, the big evil Schnee is assaulting an innocent bystander over a simple mistake. What will I, a good natured and decent human being, do?" The reflection lowered her hands and glared at Weiss. "You want to know what you are to everyone here? A cold hearted bitch with no redeeming qualities besides having a ton of money. Don't be surprised that people want to see you taken down a peg." Weiss looked down at the sink.

"Whatever, I don't need anyone anyway. I can make it all on my own just fine." She looked up at the mirror. A sad girl in her underwear looked back at her, an ugly scar trailing down her left eye. Weiss sighed and hastily got dressed before leaving the bathroom.

* * *

Blake seethed with rage as she quietly walked past the trees. She had left the Goth girl behind and had wondered into the pine forest on the school's campus. A Schnee. A fucking Schnee would be going to school with her. She grit her teeth and stopped in front of a tree, sitting down at its base. She sighed and rested her head on her arms; her ears twitched involuntarily underneath her bow. She listened to the birds chirping in an attempt to calm herself down.

She wasn't with the White Fang anymore, what ever happened to the Schnee's wasn't her business anymore. If that bratty heiress wanted to get herself killed trying to fight the Grimm that was her business.

That thought made her smile.

* * *

Yang pounded on a punching bag as her friends talked to her. She and her friends had scoped out the school and found the most important building; the gym. They didn't know if they were allowed to use it but fuck it they were going to use it anyway.

"So Yang, that girl in that red cape on the news was your sister right?" Her friend, Drey, asked. She was spotting for Jet, who was busy on the weight bench. Yang didn't stop pounding on the bag as she answered,

"Yeah! Pretty cool huh?" Her friend holding the bag, Sterling, nodded his head silently.

"You think she's going to make it tomorrow?" Jet asked. Yang paused before resuming her beat down.

"Of course she will." She heard Jet grunt as he pumped iron. "She's a tough little cookie. Some stupid Grimm aren't enough to kill her." She punched the bag too hard and it fell off its chain and came crashing to the floor.

* * *

Ruby laughed as the boy tried his best to explain why busses should be used for universal travel instead of airships. They had left the school courtyard and had gotten lost in the water gardens. Butterflies, bees, and dragonflies flied past them as they walked along the grassy pathway. The boy's name was Jaune Arc and he was apparently real impressed by Ruby's act of newsworthy heroism.

"Maybe you could work on not getting airsick."

"Hey it's a common sickness. Besides you don't see me making fun of you for hitting a guy in his no-no square." Ruby laughed.

"His what?"

"You know. His…" Juane pointed at his crotch. Ruby snorted.

"But it's such an easy target."

"Couldn't you at least beat him up with… whatever that thing is?" Juane pointed to Crescent Rose. Ruby pulled it out pressed the button to disassemble it. The scythe sprang out and she twirled it around before slamming the butt of the staff into the dirt. She smirked; she loved showing off her baby. Jaune's eyes widened at the sight of the weapon.

"Cool scythe!" Ruby pressed a button and the scythe collapsed into its sniper form.

"It's also a customizable high impact anti-personnel sniper rifle." Jaune stared at her blankly.

"What?"

"It's also a gun." Realization dawned on Jaune and his jaw fell.

"That's so cool." Ruby nodded in agreement. She collapsed her weapon and holstered it, noticing the scabbard at the boy's hip.

"So what do you have?" Jaune looked down at his sword. He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Just a sword. It's a family heirloom. Oh! And the scabbard becomes a shield when I need it to! So that's pretty cool, I guess." Ruby nodded her head; she loved crazy awesome weapon combination's but there was no denying that a simple sword was good too.

A mechanical voice echoed all around them. "Attention potential First Year students. Please meet in the Great Hall to listen to Headmaster Ozpin for the opening ceremony." Ruby and Jaune looked at one another before taking the path back.

* * *

Yang stood waiting at the entrance of the Great Hall. Her friends had already gone inside and taken their seats but she wanted to be with Ruby for a little bit. She crossed her arms and propped a leg against the wall.

Ruby was an amazing fighter; she had no reason to worry about her. She looked up and saw Ruby strolling up with a blonde boy. Yang smiled and waved. Ruby waved back before running up to her sister.

"Hey Yang. You have fun with your friends?" Yang grinned and ruffled Ruby's hair.

"Yeah. They're already inside. Who's your friend?" Ruby looked back at Jaune. She motioned for him to come over. He sheepishly did and put a hand out in front of him. He had a nervous smile. Yang grabbed his hand and shook it, shaking the poor boy's entire arm.

"The name's Jaune," he said, while massaging his hand.

"Nice to meet ya Jaune. Soo I was hoping to spend some time with my sis so later, 'kay?" Yang grabbed Ruby's hand and led her inside, leaving Jaune standing there confused.

Yang held onto Ruby's hand as she led her through the hall, finding them a pair of seats. Yang sat down and patted the seat next to her. Ruby sat down and looked at her sister.

"Something on your mind?" Yang grinned at her sister.

"Not really. I just wanted to know how my little sister's day was going." Ruby grimaced.

"Not great. I ran into some girl and made her spill her coffee and then she started yelling at me and she was really mean and she made me feel really bad and I just wanted her to stop looking like she wanted to kill me and then some ninja girl came up and scared her away and then she ran away and then," she paused for a breath "I ran into Jaune and he's the guy who threw up on the ship and he's cool, kind of, and he showed me his sword and-" Ruby stopped and stared off into the crowd in front of her. Yang furrowed her brow and waved her hand in front of Ruby's face.

"Um, Remnant to Ruby?" Ruby swatted her hand away. She pointed into the crowd at a girl with a side ponytail who sat by herself; an open chair on either side of her.

"That's the girl. I think that other girl said her name was Weiss Schnee." Yang followed her line of sight. She saw Jaune walk up to the empty seat on her left. He said something and flashed a pair of gun hands. Weiss turned and scowled at him for a moment, causing the boy to rub his arm and slowly back away. Weiss returned her attention to the stage after he left.

"Well she seems friendly," Yang said. She heard a tapping on the microphone and looked at the stage. Ozpin had appeared on the stage; leaning on his cane for support while he fiddled with the microphone.

"I do not wish to bore you so I will keep this brief. I see before me close to two hundred bright and smiling youths. Come tomorrow most of you shall be dead," a hush settled over the crowd as Ozpin took off his glasses to clean them. He put them back and resumed his speech. "You came here to learn how to be Hunters; to fight the monsters that hunt us and to preserve the sanctity of our kingdoms. I will not lie to you, it is a thankless job and often dangerous. Those of you that believe they have what it takes to survive are welcome to stay and take their first steps towards a new life; a life that myself and my instructors will mold you for. Those of you that do not think they can handle this are welcome to leave." He stepped away from the microphone and hobbled off the stage. Glynda stepped from the shadows and up to the mic.

"You shall be fed dinner in the cafeteria and go to bed in the ballroom at twenty hundred sharp. At O five hundred in the morning you shall be woken up and you shall begin your initiation test. Gather your things and head to the cafeteria. You are dismissed." The crowd of students murmured to themselves as they tried to find their way to cafeteria. Having already scoped out the campus Yang led Ruby to the cafeteria.

* * *

Blake followed the crowd as they made their way towards the cafeteria. The headmaster definitely had a way with words, most of the people around her were talking about how there was no way they could _all_ die during the test. Most of the students around her looked like they had never even seen a Grimm up close before. She let out a sigh and buried her nose in her book again. She occasionally looked up to make sure she didn't run into anyone. Once she got into the cafeteria she got in line and grabbed a tray with one hand, she was in the middle of the book's climax, and she was not about to stop reading.

Her mouth watered as the smell of the huge variety of food washed over her; steamed vegetables, roast beef, glazed ham, fried chicken, smoked fish, cold salads, a variety of fruit, hot and heavily seasoned pasta, sweet pastries, and crunchy bread fresh from the oven. She heard her belly grumble and helped herself to a variety of fruits, a salad, some pasta, and a whole smoked salmon. She loaded up her tray and made herself a hot black tea before taking her seat in the emptiest part of the building. She continued to read and ate her food while occasionally looking up to people watch.

The Goth she had saved earlier was sitting next to a large, muscular girl with long golden hair. The Goth had a plate loaded with cookies, cake, and strawberries with cream. The blonde amazon had a plate loaded with beef, chicken, ham, fish, and pasta. They were both drinking soda. The Goth laughed at something the blonde said and Blake returned her attention to her book.

Blake couldn't help but notice how the humans were sitting together, and the Faunus by themselves. She chortled darkly.

She looked up again when she heard a chair scrape against the floor near her. The Schnee had taken a seat in the table in front of her. She had dainty amount of food on her plate; a salad with some pasta and fruit with a side of yogurt. A coffee sat on the table; she didn't see any steam so Blake figured that it was iced. Schnee sat rigidly and her eating was proper but oh so mechanical looking. Blake narrowed her eyes in disgust before returning to her book.

* * *

Ruby put her tray away and followed Yang to the ballroom, where she saw hundreds of sleeping bags scattered on the floor. People were talking to one another, dressed in their pajamas. Some people were getting changed into them right there in the open and Ruby looked away in embarrassment. There was a line to the bathrooms, and Ruby felt her stomach knot in concern. She grasped Yang's hand, and Yang looked down at her.

"Um, Yang?"

"Yeah, Ruby?"

"Could you… I don't know, stand guard or something when I get changed?" Her sister smiled reassuringly.

"No problem, sis." She said. Ruby let out a breath, feeling relieved.

They stood in line for what felt like an eternity before they finally got to the bathroom. Girls were getting changed in the open, and none of the stalls were open. Ruby stood waiting in front of one of the stalls, fidgeting slightly as she waited for it to open.

After several minutes the door opened and a crimson haired amazon walked out, giving her a smile before she walked away. Ruby looked back at Yang, who gave her a thumbs up, and entered the stall.

She locked the door and quickly, and shakily got changed.

She exited the stall, and let Yang take the stall next. She exited the bathroom, the knot in her stomach unraveling.

She walked through the ballroom for a bit before she set her bag down next to a sleeping bag and laid down, pulling out her scroll. She started to text her friends back at Signal about the crazy day she had and how she had been accepted into Beacon. She was about to send the message when Yang flopped down next to her.

"Watcha doin'?"Ruby closed her scroll.

"Talking to my friends back at Signal."

"Oh cool." Yang looked around at the room before looking back at Ruby. "Any boy here catch your eye?" Ruby made a gagging noise. "Girl then?" Yang winked. Ruby threw her pillow into her sister's face.

"You know I'm not into all that love-dovey stuff." Yang smirked.

"I know sis but it's my job as an older sister to tease you." She paused to ogle a beefcake that walked past them. She shook her head. "Anyway, make any new friends today besides John?"

"Jaune. And no not really. I think that Weiss girl still hates me." Yang shrugged.

"Forget about that bitch. Oh what about that ninja that saved you?" Ruby sat up. She hadn't seen that girl again since that incident. She hadn't even caught her name. She noticed someone reading in the far corner of the room. Ruby got up and started to walk over to them, Yang following after her.

* * *

Blake had finished the book she had with dinner and was working on a new one. She was loving this author's writing style.

"Um, excuse me." She looked up and saw the Goth was standing before her, the blonde amazon stood behind her.

"Yes?" The Goth fidgeted.

"I never got to thank you for saving me from Weiss earlier. My name's Ruby." She held out her hand. A handshake, an odd human custom she never quiet understood. She returned her attention to her book.

"Blake," she said.

"I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister! I love your yukata, where'd ya get it?" Blake could hear the girls smile.

"A store. Just like where I got this book that I'm trying to read."

"What book is it?" Blake looked up at Ruby. She could see that the girl was genuinely interested. She smiled.

"The Strange Case of Professor Hyena and Hyde."

"That's the one about the guy with two souls? And they fight over who gets to be in control, right?" Blake was surprised.

"Yeah. You've read it?" Ruby nodded.

"I love books. My favorites are the Garry Potter series." Blake bookmarked the book before setting it down.

"Would you like too… Stay and talk about books for a little bit?" Ruby looked at Yang who nodded her head.

She sat down and started to chat with Blake, and Blake noticed Yang walk away.

* * *

Weiss was busy brushing her teeth when she heard the bathroom door open. She paused, foam around her mouth, and looked over at the door. Two dog Faunus walked in. One had purple hair and long purple dog ears. The other had hazel eyes and short brown dog ears.

They took the sinks next to her and started to talk to each other, ignoring Weiss. The purple haired dog started to brush her hair, as the hazel eyed dog started to brush her teeth.

"Violet, you're not going to believe who we have in our class."

"That girl in the red cape from the news?"

"Well, yeah, but she's not important. Weiss Schnee and Pyrrha Nikos are here!" Violet's eyes widened.

"Hazel, no way! I thought Pyrrha lived in Mistral, and Weiss in Atlas, what are they doing here?" Hazel shrugged in response.

"Beats me, but we have go to get on a team with at least one of them. With Pyrrha on our team we probably could just coast by without even fighting that much. I've never been too good at that." Violet grinned.

"And if we end up with Weiss, just imagine all the stuff she could buy us."

Weiss narrowed her eyes in disgust; like she would ever buy anything for a disgusting Faunus.

"Yeah, she could even buy us a surgery to make us human. That's about the only way she would buy us anything." Violet giggled.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about how racist her family was. Doesn't her dad kill his Faunus employees for fun?"

"Like he would even hire a Faunus." Hazel spat into the sink, and rinsed her mouth. "But hey, maybe we can change her mind." Hazel said as she started to leave, holding the door open for Violet before closing it.

Weiss turned back to her sink, and spat. Of course her father would never hire a Faunus, he was above that. She saw her reflection smirking as she looked up.

"Pleasant people here, wouldn't you say?" Weiss scowled.

"The Faunus aren't people. And no, not pleasant in the slightest." Her reflection shrugged and disappeared.

Weiss rinsed her mouth and went to her sleeping bag.


	4. The First Step

He bolted upright, gasping for breath. A cold sweat coated his body as he rested his head in his hands. It was still dark out; at least an hour before their scheduled wake up time. He lifted his head and looked over at his partner, Nora. She was splayed out on her sleeping mat, her pajamas contorted from her frequent tossing and turning. A stuffed sloth lay in the crook of her arm. She was smiling and drool was running down her chin. He sighed, stood up, and headed to the bathroom.

Cool water ran from the faucet and into the sink. He cupped his hands underneath the faucet and let the water pool in his hands for a moment before splashing it on his face. He shivered as the water ran down the back of his neck. He looked into the mirror and stared at his reflection. His long black and pink hair was a mess and tufts of it stood up in random places. His pink eyes look tired and there were bags underneath his eyes. His eyes wondered to his chest and to the large claw marks that ran from his right pec down to his abdomen. He sighed again before turning off the faucet, drying his face, and walking out of the bathroom.

"Good morning Ren!" Nora whisper shouted, a gigantic smile plastered on her face. She was dressed in her white shirt, black jacket, and pink skirt. Her smile faltered but never left her face. "Did you have that nightmare again?" He nodded his head. Nora poked his nose and said, "Boop." That put a smile on his face. Nora held up his clothes; a green and black silk tailcoat and white pants. "You'll probably need these today. I mean you can try fighting Grimm in your pajama's, I certainly wouldn't complain, but I think the professors wouldn't approve." Ren took his clothes and returned to the bathroom. He could hear Nora humming as he got dressed. He tied his hair back in a ponytail before exiting the bathroom again.

Nora was waiting for him outside of the bathroom, their backpacks in her hands and her grenade launcher slung across her back. She giggled as she tossed him his bag. He slipped it on and followed her as she led him out of the ball room and onto the dark school campus. She swung her arms in a carefree manor as she walked, looking over her shoulder as she talked to Ren.

"I really hope that they have pancakes here. Oh! Ren, do you think that you can make me some pancakes if there aren't any?" He shrugged his shoulders in response; he did like making Nora breakfast but holding the school's kitchen hostage on his first day would probably give a bad impression. He would save that for later.

They entered the cafeteria to find the school's staff hard at work making breakfast. After some coercing Ren managed to convince them to let them eat early. He grabbed a bowl of porridge, some poached eggs, some breakfast pudding, and made himself a cup of green tea while Nora loaded her plate up with as many pancakes as she could carry. Which is a lot. Ren sat down at a table and quietly sipped his tea while Nora poured an entire bottle of syrup onto her mountain of pancakes.

"So I'm really hoping that we end up on a team together." She swallowed a pancake. "I mean, we've been together for so long, it would feel weird not having you around all the time." He took a bite of his eggs, and slowly chewed them before responding.

"I hope for that as well. I must admit that I would be quiet sad if we got separated." Nora brushed a stray hair over her ear and picked at her pancakes with her fork. It was somewhat dark in the room but Ren could swear that she was blushing. She slammed her hands down on the table suddenly and turned towards him.

"Ren, if we get separated I'm going to imitate a sloth so you know how to find me." Ren arched an eyebrow.

"I don't think sloths make a lot of noise." Nora blew a raspberry and made a dismissive hand gesture.

"Of course they do silly. Listen." Nora made a high pitched but very adorable squealing sound. Ren placed a hand over his mouth to stifle his giggling.

"I'll keep an ear out for that then," Ren said. Nora stuffed a pancake into her mouth.

"And what noise will you be making so I can find you? I can't leave you all alone now can I?" she asked through her mouthful of syrup and pancake. Ren put down his fork and swallowed his food before making an adorably high pitched squeal. Nora's eyes lit up. "We can be sloth buddies!" Ren smiled as Nora began a tangent about sloths and returned to his food, listening to every word she said.

* * *

Weiss ran the brush through her hair, counting every stroke. Once she reached one hundred brushes she would tie her hair into a side pony tail. She stared at her reflection as she counted, mouthing each number.

"Excuse me?" Weiss let out a yelp and looked in the direction of the voice. A gorgeous woman with a warm face stood next to her. She had a red towel draped around her body and her long, wet, crimson hair hung past her waist. Her bright green eyes looked worried as Weiss continued to stare at her. "Are you alright? If I am bothering you I can find a different sink to get dressed at." Weiss shook her head.

"I'm perfectly fine." The girl seemed unsure of Weiss' response but didn't push it. She stood at the sink next to Weiss and put the bag she was carrying with her on it. She unzipped it and pulled out her clothes and make up.

Weiss had lost count after getting startled and started brushing again, restarting the count. The girl undid her towel and set it on top of her bag before she started to get dressed. Weiss continued to count, her mind wandering as to where she had seen the girl before. At dinner? In the ballroom while on her way to her sleeping bag? Wherever she had seen her she was extremely familiar. And quiet cute. Weiss felt her cheeks grow warm at the last thought.

A wolf whistle interrupted her train of thought. She looked over at her reflection to see it looking in the girl's direction; ogling her. The reflection looked at Weiss before pointing over at the girl.

"Think she would be someone Father would approve of?" Weiss scowled; now was not the time. The reflection went back to ogling the girl "You know it is just the three of us in here. You could have some fun before you die today."

"Excuse me," the girl said. Weiss looked over at her. She had her back to Weiss and had on a brown crop top and bronze corset. The laces were undone and the girl was holding them out to her. "I'm sorry for asking but could you help tie this for me?" Weiss nodded and laced her up. The girl looked at the lacing in the mirror and nodded her head in approval. She lifted up a red sash and tied it around her waist. Weiss stared at the girl's face; and gasped as she finally realized who it was.

"You're Pyrrha Nikos!" Weiss exclaimed. Pyrrha sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.

"Yes I am. And you're Weiss Schnee correct?" Weiss nodded her head. Pyrrha smiled "I've been to some of your concerts. I must say that I am surprised to see you here; you never struck me as someone who would want to, well, fight monsters for the rest of her life." Weiss ran a hand through her hair.

"I wanted to try something new. I'm good with a sword and desk work is boring so why not become a Huntress?"

"Liar," her reflection said. Weiss ignored it and put on her best smile for Pyrrha. Pyrrha smiled back and said

"Well that sounds splendid. I hope that you make it through initiation."

"Speaking of initiation, have you put any thought as to who you want to be on a team with? Someone as magnificent as you surely needs teammates just as good." Pyrrha seemed somewhat uncomfortable with the question and hesitated to answer as she pulled on her opera length gloves.

"I'm not entirely sure. I was just going to let things play out."

"Well I for one am hoping that we end up together," Weiss said. Pyrrha responded while pulling on her socks and boots.

"I can't say that I would be completely opposed to the idea. But as I said, I prefer to let things happen naturally." Pyrrha stood up and opened up her make up bag and started applying eyeshadow. A plethora of armor pieces lay in the sink, parts of her outfit that Pyrrha had not gotten to yet. Weiss returned to brushing her hair, restarting her count again.

* * *

She stood on a snowy cliffside, a stone grave before her. She knelt down before the grave and started to caress its icy surface; she missed her so much.

"Ruby."

She knew her voice. She wanted nothing more in life than to get to hear that voice every day.

She looked up and saw her floating over the edge of the cliff, her white cloak flapping around her with the icy wind. Ruby smiled and felt tears start to run down her cheeks.

"Mom," she said. Her mother smiled at her, it was the kindest smile Ruby knew.

"You have no idea how proud you have made me, Ruby." Ruby felt her lips tremble as she stepped towards her mother.

"I try, mom. I just want to follow in your footsteps, and be as awesome as you." Ruby stood at the edge of the cliff, her arms extended for her mother to embrace her. Her mother opened her mouth, only for an earsplittingly loud buzzing to come out. Ruby gasped, lost her footing, and fell off the cliffside. She screamed as the black forest below her came hurtling towards her.

Ruby's eyes snapped open and she groaned as she was greeted with a loud buzzing noise. She checked her scroll to see that it was five in the morning; the sun wasn't even up yet.

She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes as Glynda told the students that they are to bathe, eat, and be at the air shuttle with their weapons by seven. She looked around and noticed that a few of the sleeping bags were empty; people who had gotten up early she guessed.

Ruby showered and got dressed into her combat skirt quickly before heading off to the cafeteria. She grabbed some cereal, strawberries, and coffee with a shot of cream and five cubes of sugar. She saw that Yang was in line with her friends; laughing and looking like she was having a great time. Ruby looked down and stirred her cereal around with her spoon. She heard the chair next to her scrape against the floor and she looked up. Jaune smiled at her as he took his seat. He had a bowl of Pumpkin Pete's and a pouch of apple juice.

"You okay Ruby?" he asked. Ruby rested her chin on her fist while Jaune struggled to get the straw off the pouch.

"Yeah, just fine," she replied. She heard Yang laugh and looked back at her. Jaune looked back as well and nodded his head in understanding.

"Sister problems?" Ruby shook her head.

"No, well, not really. When I got accepted into Beacon I was so excited about being able to go to my dream school with my sister. And aside from the speech and dinner she's been spending every minute with her friends. I'm just kinda bummed that we aren't hanging out more is all." Jaune nodded his head in understanding while sipping on his juice.

"Maybe if you're lucky you'll end up on a team together. Then she'll always have to spend time with you." Ruby snorted.

"Yeah right. What are the odds of that happening?"

"It could happen, you never know," he said. Ruby started to eat her cereal, not really tasting it as she chewed.

"You have any siblings?" she asked. Jaune nodded his head.

"Yeah, I have seven sisters." Ruby looked at him in astonishment. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I know a thing or two about dealing with older sisters." He laughed. "I've always wanted to go to Beacon too. My oldest sister, Dijon, she graduated top of her class about," he paused as he tried to remember "fifteen years ago. I was really little when she became a Huntress. Her and my grandfather are the reasons why I wanted to become a Huntsman."

"She sounds pretty cool. Are you the youngest?" Her cereal seemed to have a bit of flavor to it now.

"Nah, I'm the middle child; three older sisters and four younger. My youngest sister is Noir, she's about two. Oh hang on I have a picture I can show you." He pulled out his wallet and whipped out a folded up photograph. He unfolded it and handed it to her. Jaune stood smiling and holding a toddler in the middle of a group of girls of varying age. Aside from the black haired toddler they all had blonde hair and blue eyes. The oldest girl had an eyepatch and large claw marks across her face. Ruby handed the photo back and took a bite of her cereal.

"Sounds like a crazy house."

"It is!" he laughed. They chatted idly about their family and finished off their breakfast. They followed the crowd towards the air docks and stood waiting; it was six forty-five. Ruby fidgeted and grabbed the hilt of Crescent Rose for what had to be the hundredth time; the cold feel of the metal comforted her.

After what felt like an eternity she saw Ozpin and Glynda step in front of the group of students; towering over even the tallest student. Ozpin cleared his throat before speaking, his voice carrying throughout the entire crowd.

"Many of you have been training to become Hunters; to dedicate your life to combating the Grimm. How many of you, I wonder, have ever even seen a Grimm before in your life." A couple of hands, less than a dozen, in the crowd of two hundred flew up. Ozpin snorted at the sight. "Today you will be combating the Grimm, and you will receive no aid from myself or any of the school staff." A murmur ran through the crowd and Ruby grasped the hilt of her scythe. Ozpin waited for the crowd to grow quiet. "There is a very high chance that you all will die. Those of you that do not think they are willing to take that risk are welcome to leave. You will not be judged and you will be taken home where your family is waiting."

Ruby saw people start to leave; at least fifty in all. Ozpin waited to see if anyone else would leave before he resumed "I was not joking when I said that there is a high chance that you all could die; do not hesitate and show no mercy to the Grimm as they will not show you any. Glynda, if you would?" Ozpin stepped back as Glynda stepped up.

"In a moment several drop ships will be arriving. You are to enter one and await further instruction. While you are entering one of our second year teams will be handing each of you a parachute and a pair of goggles. Do not forget to grab them as you will die without them." A sense of dread began to spread amongst the crowd as four dropships roared up to the deck. They landed and lowered their pod bay doors. A fashionista with a beret stood at the entrance of one ship, a giant of a man, a fox Faunus covered in scars, and a short rabbit Faunus at the others. Ruby gulped, her mouth dry, as she walked up the gangway and grabbed her parachute and goggles. The fashionista flashed her a smile and patted her on the back as she walked past.

After a few minutes the dropship was filled and the pod bay door closed. Ruby stood in darkness before a low red light turned on and the ship took off. She felt the ship flying higher and higher into the air and heard her ears pop. A screen appeared on the ceiling and Ozpin's face came into focus.

"Your objective for this test will be to acquire a relic at a temple located in the center of the forest we will be air dropping you into. After acquiring this relic you are to exit the forest and enter a field where I will be waiting with a shuttle to take you back to the school. If you do not return by nightfall then I will send a search and rescue party, and you will be sent home. You will also have to acquire a partner on your way to the temple. These partners shall be with you for the rest of your stay here at Beacon."

"Um, Headmaster?" a girl near Ruby asked.

"Yes?"

"How do we get our partners?"

"I'm glad you asked. Your partner shall be whoever you first make eye contact with once you have landed. You should be arriving at the proper altitude momentarily. Team CFVY will show you how to operate your parachutes. I wish you all good luck." The screen disappeared and Ruby heard the fashionista start barking out instructions. She walked around showing every person how to properly use their parachute. After checking to make sure that everyone knew how to use their parachute the fashionista walked down to the pod bay door and opened it.

Wind ripped through the interior of the ship, muffling everything that Ruby heard. She put on her goggles and parachute and followed the people in front of her. She got to the door and looked down. The sight made her dizzy and she felt herself sway before a firm hand grabbed her by the shoulder. She looked over her shoulder to see the fashionista give her a warm smile before she pushed her out of the ship.

The wind ripped the scream from Ruby's throat as she free fell through the air; the wind tugging at her. She threw her legs and arms apart to slow her descent. After another moment she opened up her parachute. She saw dozens of parachutes down below her along with a few dots of people who had yet to open them.

A Nevermore swooped past Ruby, its wings mere centimeters away from her boots. The Nevermore circled around and charged at a student below her; snagging the student with its beak before biting down. The student was reduced to a red mist as the Nevermore devoured the student. Ruby squeezed her eyes shut as she flew past the Nevermore, tears polling at the bottom of her goggles. She kept them shut until she felt her legs start to hit the tree tops. Her eyes snapped open and she tried in vain to maneuver her parachute to avoid getting snagged on a tree. Branches scratched and tugged at her as she crashed into a tree.

* * *

Jaune screamed as he tried to maneuver his parachute.

"No, no, no, no!" he yelled as he crashed into a tree. A small branch impaled itself on his arm, causing Jaune to scream out in pain. His parachute fell around him, tangling itself with the branches.

* * *

Pyrrha saw the tree branches getting closer and once her feet trailed over the tops she pulled out her spear, Miló, and cut the cords of the chute. Using her shield, Akoúo, she crashed through the tree branches before landing on the ground. She spun around, her shield up and her spear at the ready. A cardinal chirped at her as it flew past. Believing that everything was safe for the moment Pyrrha lowered her weapon, ripped off her goggles and the remnants of her chute, and started hiking through the forest, keeping an ear out for Grimm. She stopped when she heard someone screaming for help from the branches above her. She looked up and saw a boy in a black hoodie tangled up in his parachute in the branches above her. After checking sure it was safe she holstered her weapons and began to climb the tree.

* * *

Jaune sniffled as he tried in vain to move his blood drenched arm. He heard rustling and unsheathed his sword; he may not be the best at fighting but there was no way he would die without putting up a fight. To his surprise a crimson haired amazon stuck her head up from the branches below. She gasped when she saw his bloody arm, and climbed onto the branch he was on.

"My name is Pyrrha, can you move your arm?" Jaune shook his head. Pyrrha grimaced and drew her spear. She untangled Jaune from his parachute and cut the cords, tossing the parachute away. She inspected his arm before pulling out a first aid kit from her pouch. "I'm going to need you to bite down on this." She said while handing Juane a small piece of leather. Jaune took it and bit down on it, looking a bit confused. "I'm very sorry for this," She said as she wrenched Jaune's arm free of the tree branch. Jaune screamed through the leather and started spasming with pain.

* * *

Ruby dangled from the tree branches, her breathing heavy. Someone was dead. That Nevermore _ate_ that person. With shaking hands she slipped out of her harness and fell onto the ground. She curled up into a ball and started to sob. She knew that there was a chance that she could die, she had fought the Grimm before and knew the risk that ran with it, but it was entirely different to watch a Grimm kill someone. She sniffed and sat up, resting her head on her knees. If she didn't get moving she was guaranteed to die. With a shaky breath Ruby stood up, threw away her tear filled goggles and started hiking through the forest, shouting out Yang, Jaune, and Blake's name.

* * *

Weiss was busy hiking through the forest, her hand resting on her sword. She had used one of her glyphs to halt her descent before she could get ripped apart by the trees. The sight of that Nevermore devouring that poor student was repeating through her mind; what if that had been her? She could have died before her career had even gotten started. Distracted, Weiss tripped over a root sticking out of the ground and fell to the ground, getting dirt and mud all over her combat skirt. She groaned with annoyance as she stood up and tried to brush it off of her pristine white clothes; this would probably stain too. She heard a rustle in the bushes behind her and froze. She slowly turned around and screamed as a Beowolf tackled her to the ground.


	5. The Emerald Forest

Yang sprinted through the forest, her breathing ragged as she screamed out Ruby's name again and again. She had to find her; she didn't care whether or not it was against the rules for siblings to be partners she was finding her baby sister and she was going to protect her. The forest was a blur to her as she blindly ran through it.

She let out a cry as she tripped over a gnarled root sticking out of the dirt and went tumbling down a hill covered in bushes and briar. She tumbled through some shrubs and slid to a stop, groaning in pain. The thorns from the briar's were wrapped around her body and tangled in her hair. She grumbled as she rose to her feet and froze at the sight before her.

Two Ursa stood before her, dining on the corpse of one of her fellow students. The poor dog Faunus had had her ribcage ripped open and her entrails pulled out. A pool of blood surrounded the girl and caked blood covered her face. Her hazel eyes were glazed over and one of her dog ears had been chewed off. Her parachute was tangled up next to her corpse and soaked with her blood. Her legs were broken and her femur was sticking out of her right leg. Her left forearm had been ripped off and was being gnawed to the bone by one of the Ursa.

The two Ursa were staring at her; one gnawing on the girls arm lazily. Yang swallowed and turned her bracelets into Ember Celica. The Ursa with the arm let it drop from its blood soaked maw and charged at the girl, its roar sending a chill down Yang's spine. The other Ursa hung back and began to flank her.

The first Ursa charged at her and she leapt out of the way. The second Ursa attacked her from behind, raking its claws across her back. She hissed with pain as her aura absorbed the blow. She spun around and caught the Ursa's paw as it swiped at her again. She grit her teeth as she struggled to keep the paw at bay. She screamed as the second Ursa bit down on her shoulder. Her aura was going haywire as it absorbed the bite.

Yang yelled, her eyes flashing red, as she used her spare hand to punch the Ursa in front of her in the arm, firing a blast at the same time. The Ursa roared as its arm flew off in a shower of black, gooey blood. Yang grabbed the Ursa biting her shoulder with both hands and lifted its jaw off of her shoulder. She spun around to face the Ursa, snarling as she kept its jaws apart. She screamed and twisted the Ursa's head with a sickening snap. The Ursa fell to the ground as she turned to face the remaining Ursa.

It was laying on the ground dead, black blood dribbling down its head. The ninja girl that Ruby had met yesterday stood on top of the Ursa's corpse, her sword lodged in its skull. She glared at Yang before yanking out her blade and stalking off. Yang sprinted after her

"Hey! Wait! Have you seen my sister?" The girl looked back and shook her head.

* * *

The wolf had her pinned to the ground and Weiss was struggling to keep the wolf's snapping jaws away from her throat. Her sword had fallen out of place and was laying in the mud near her. She groaned as she felt her arms begin to shake from the strain. She grunted and tried to hold the wolf away with one hand while feeling around for a rock of something. She felt her hand close around a jagged palm sized rock, grabbed it, and bashed it over the wolf's head. The wolf growled with pain as it fell over. Weiss took the opportunity to scramble towards her sword. She gasped as she felt the wolf grab her leg and drag her backwards. She clawed at the ground, trying in vain to get to her sword.

The wolf yanked back on her leg and she was painfully thrown back. The wolf was on top of her in an instant and grabbed her head with is giant clawed hand. She grabbed the wolf's wrist, trying to pry the wolfs hand off her face. The wolf lifted her head up and slammed it into the ground. An explosion of light filled her vision and it felt like her head was going to break apart as the wolf slammed her head into the ground again. Her aura was doing a good job dulling the pain but it could only hold out for so long. The wolf let go of her head and wrapped its claws around her throat. She wheezed and tried to pry off the claws, her nails digging into its skin and drawing blood. The wolf lowered its head and looked her in the eye as it strangled the life out of her, hot drool falling onto her face.

She could see her reflection in the wolf's eyes. Her reflection smiled at her as it raked its thumb across its throat. Black spots began to appear in her vision as her struggles against the wolfs claws became weaker. The wolf threw back its head and howled in victory.

The wolf's head exploded into a spray of black blood, bones, fur, and brains, splattering all over Weiss' face. The wolf's corpse slumped over on top of her, its claws slipping off her throat. Weiss gasped for air, her throat burning as the cool morning air was sucked in and out greedily. Her vision cleared and Weiss stared unblinking up at the tree tops, her ears ringing. The trees were thick and there was very little sunlight able to filter down, keeping the forest in a perpetual state of twilight. Despite it being spring there were no flowers blooming. She could feel a gentle breeze blowing across her cheek and watched as dead leaves danced in the wind. She stayed that way for what felt like an eternity, staring up at the trees, her hearing muted.

A face appeared in front of Weiss, shaking her and shouting. She couldn't hear what the girl was saying as she watched the girl's panicked face. Her skin was pale and her eyes a bright silver. Her hair was black with the tips dyed crimson. The girl lifted the Beowolf off of her and sat her up. The ringing in Weiss' ears slowly came to a stop.

"Weiss! Are you okay? Can you hear me?" That girl, where had she seen her before? Oh that's right, she spilled coffee all over her the day before. The girl shook Weiss' shoulders again. "Weiss! Answer me!"

"What? I'm fine, let go of me." Ruby let go of her and backed away, eyeing Weiss strangely. Weiss stood up and grabbed her sword from the mud. She brushed the mud and dirt off the Dust chamber and sheathed it. She started to walk off into the forest, pushing shrubs and bushes out of her way.

 _Oh Dust._

Ruby followed after her. "Weiss, where are you going?"

"Unless you feel like fighting more of these things I recommend we keep walking. Beowolves always travel in packs," Weiss said. Ruby ducked under a low hanging branch.

"I know that. But do you have any idea where you're going? And what was up with that? You zoned out like a zombie after I killed that wolf for you."

 _I… I almost…_

"I'm heading towards the ruins. Did you not pay attention to anything Ozpin said?" Ruby stopped and cocked her head.

"How do you know it's that way?"

"I just do, okay."

"You sure about that? Or are we heading towards a Grimm nest for you to get killed at?" Weiss stopped and spun on her heels and marched over to the taller girl. She glared up at her.

"Listen, Ms. Coffee Spiller, I was doing just fine before you showed up. I don't need your help or anyone else's." Ruby laughed.

"Right, you totally had that under control. You were just gonna let that wolf strangle you to death then?" Weiss turned away.

 _If she hadn't shown up…_

"I had it under control! I always have things under control!" Her voice broke.

"But you didn't! You were about to die till I sniped that beo! You're not perfect Weiss, you can't do everything on your own!" Weiss kept her back turned Ruby as the tears started to run down her cheeks. She felt her body tremble, and she clasped her hands over her mouth to silence the hiccup coming out of her mouth.

"Are you… crying?" She heard Ruby take a step towards her.

"Of course not you dolt! Just leave me alone, I don't need your help or anyone else's! I can make it all by myself!" Weiss tried to take a step forward and fell to her knees. She stayed that way and wrapped her arms around her chest, rocking back and forth as she sobbed.

 _Oh Dust, oh Dust. I almost died! I can't die this young, there's so much I need to do! And dying to a Grimm, my body… would they have had anything to send back home? What would Mother, Winter, and Whitley do if I died? What would Klein do? Oh Dust, oh Dust!_

She started to sob even harder as she thought of the look on her beloved sister's face when she learned she had died.

Several minutes passed before Weiss felt the tears slow and she managed to regain her composure. She stood up, her tears making streaks on her blood covered face. She turned around and saw Ruby standing there awkwardly, fiddling with her scythe rifle. She pointed a finger at Ruby.

"Breath a word of that and I will flay you alive." Ruby nodded her head.

"Ya wanna talk about it?"

"No," she said. She turned and marched back into the forest. Ruby shook her head and followed after her.

* * *

Jaune whimpered as Pyrrha cleaned his wounds with alcohol. She put away her first aid kit and spoke

"There, your aura should take care of the rest. Why didn't you have it on when we were falling?" Jaune groaned as blood trickled down his arm.

"I don't know how to use my aura." Pyrrha's eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped.

"You what?"

"I don't know how to use it!" Pyrrha placed her hand on Jaune's forehead, a red glow emanating over her body.

"Close your eyes!" Jaune did as he was told. Pyrrha's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she said with a commanding voice "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through, this we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death. I release this one's soul!"

Jaune opened his eyes to see his body emanating a white light and that the wound in his arm was healing. He grit his teeth as the flesh, muscles, and bone painfully and quickly stitched itself back together. Pyrrha's eyes rolled back and she shuddered.

"There, that should do it." She was winded and she struggled to get the words out. Her olive skin was coated with a shiny sheen of sweat. Juane moved his arm around; it was sore but that was better than broken and bleeding.

"You okay? And where did you learn to do that? That was awesome!" Pyrrha held up a hand as she caught her breath. Once she was ready she turned and spoke to him.

"My mother taught me how to do that. Helping others unlock their aura is a skill that my family has been passing down for generations."

"Neat!" Jaune said. He looked over the edge of the branch and down at the forest floor far away. "So do you have any idea how to get to that forest temple thing?"

* * *

Ren hiked through the forest, fidgeting with his goggles as he walked. They must have looked silly but hey, free stuff was free stuff. The forest reminded him of the one near the village he grew up in. The memory made him smile and the scar on his chest to ache. The grass was particularly tall as it brushed against his hips. He trailed his hands through it, smiling at the softness of the grass.

He heard a high pitched squeal and looked up. Nora was hanging upside down from a tree branch, her parachute tangled up and tied around her. Her face was red and her arms were swinging as she swayed with the wind.

Ren made a high pitched squeal to get her attention. Nora looked down and gasped.

"Sloth buddy!" Ren smiled up at her and went to the tree before climbing it. He reached her branch and pulled out Storm Flower. Nora's eyes widened and pointed behind him. "Uh, Ren, you might wanna take care of that."

He spun around to see a King Taijitu at eye level with him. Blood coated its white scales and a multitude of fresh wounds covered its head. He looked down to see the other half gulping down a dead student; his face blue and his body crushed. Ren's hands began to shake and his scar burned. He started to hyperventilate and he fell to his knees as the snake reared up.

"Ren! It's okay, I'm here!" Nora yelled, trying to untangle her grenade launcher from her parachute. Ren could hardly hear her as her placed his hands over his head. The world was growing fuzzy and burning, bloody buildings began to fill his vision. The King Taijitu stood before him, its scales caked with gore.

An explosion shocked him back to his sense, the heat washing over him. He looked up and saw the snake rearing back in response to Nora's grenades.

"You okay Ren?" Nora asked. Ren nodded and glared down at the snake as it writhed with pain. He turned the safeties off and leapt down. Nora was with him; he could do anything.

The snake reared up both heads and hissed at him. He began to fire, the recoil shaking his arms. The bullets pierced the snake's scales and black blood began to leak from the multitude of wounds. The white head snapped at him and he leapt out of the way. The snake's jaws were stuck in the ground, its fangs deep in the grassy earth. Ren ran up to the snake and plunged his blades into the snake's eyes. He cut deeply across the eye, blood spurting out and splashing against his goggles and clothes. The snake writhed around and broke its fang off trying to free itself. Ren got away from the snake as it freed itself, blood oozing out of its mouth.

The snake lunged at him blindly and he dodged each strike, sweating began to run down his brow. The other snake head was hanging back, letting the white head do the legwork while it waited for its chance to attack. The snake lunged and hit its head on a tree. Ren took this opportunity to stab the snake's good eye, blinding the beast.

He kept one blade lodged in the snake's eye before sticking the barrel into the hole and pulled the trigger, empty the entire magazine into its eye. Bullets flew through the other eye and the snake twitched as it died.

He heard the other snake hiss as it prepared to strike. He stood his ground and stabbed Storm Flower's blades into the top of the snake's mouth as it striked. He struggled to keep his ground as the snake shook and tried to get his blades out of its mouth.

"Nora! Shoot down its throat!" he shouted, looking over his shoulder. Nora saluted and took aim. He struggled to keep the snake's mouth open and keep his body at an angle where Nora wouldn't blow him up by mistake. He heard the shot and saw the pink grenade fly down the snake's gullet. He pulled out the blades and leapt backwards.

The snake exploded, blood raining down as parts of the snake flew away. Ren was breathing heavy as he looked around, making sure that there were no more surprises. Satisfied, he holstered his guns and climbed the tree again. Nora was swaying from the branch, the grenade launcher held loosely in her hands. Ren crouched down next to her face.

"I'm sorry about…that. I'll try to not let it interfere with our other fights." Nora said nothing but smiled and poked him on the nose.

"Boop," she giggled. He smiled.

* * *

Ozpin stood in the grassy field, sipping his coffee and watching old black and white films on his scroll. Glynda was pacing back and forth behind him and Team CFVY was busy playing cards. Doctor Sorrell and her nurses were waiting by the bulkheads, chatting with the pilots. He chuckled as he watched Barney Chaplin struggle with a machine he was tightening a bolt on.

The sound of nearby gunfire drew his attention away from the film and he looked up, his glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. A large pale man in a gray shirt caked in mud and Grimm blood was running up the hill, a dark skinned man in black and covered in bloody wounds slung over his shoulder. Behind them a dog Faunus with purple hair was firing an assault rifle behind her as she ran next to a moose Faunus who was crying as she tried to keep up with the large man.

Ozpin looked back at Team CFVY, and motioned for them to go help the students, they had made it to the hill. Coco stood up, telling her teammates to stay put and keep playing the game. Coco grabbed her handbag and walked down to help the students. Ozpin watched with disinterest as Coco turned her handbag into a Gatling gun and mowed down the Grimm that were chasing the students.

The four students made it up to Ozpin, panting and crying as they stood in front of him. The large gray man presented a silver rook. The purple haired girl held out a silver rook as well. Ozpin pocketed his scroll and put down his coffee. He took the two rook pieces and eyed them. He returned them and smiled at the students.

"Congratulations, you have survived initiation. May I ask for your names?"

"I'm Sterling, and the guy bleeding out on me is Jet." The man in gray said. The large man on top of him grunted a hello.

"I'm Drey," the crying moose girl said.

"And I'm Violet," the purple haired girl said. Ozpin nodded his head before stepping aside and motioning over to the nurses behind him.

"My medical staff will tend to any wounds you may have and we will be providing a ride back to Beacon Academy. If you feel that you are suffering from any kind of psychological trauma don't be afraid to let our staff know. Our school therapist is quiet good at his job I'm told. And welcome to Beacon." He smiled as they hobbled over to the Bulkheads.

He took his scroll back out and picked up his coffee, taking a sip. Coco came up to him, her clothes pristine and her bag slung over her shoulder.

"Pretty impressive. Only took them, what, two hours? Almost as fast as Velv and I." Ozpin took another sip of his coffee.

"Indeed."

* * *

Blake stalked through the forest, ducking past branches as Yang stomped through the forest after her, shouting and yelling, and being unable to keep up with her. Blake grit her teeth as she listened to Yang struggled to keep up with her, shouting about how Blake needed to slow down and if she had seen her sister.

Blake had been hoping to avoid anyone and just end up assigned to a random team; she could keep her distance from them and still get the training she needed to become a Huntress. She didn't want a partner, she didn't _need_ a partner. Not ever again. She rubbed her cheek as she ducked under a branch. Especially one that was this obnoxiously loud and with such poor survival instincts. She cursed her bad luck. She had seen Yang fighting the Ursa and decided to kill one and flee before Yang could see her; she didn't have it in her to face Ruby with the knowledge that she had let her sister die. Ruby was a nice girl, but being her sister's partner was much more than she bargained for.

She walked through some bushes and stopped, glowering at Yang when she nearly ran into her.

They had stopped on top of a grassy cliff overlooking a decrepit and overgrown temple. The bricks were so badly weathered that any color that may have existed had been long washed away. Vines and flora had overtaken most of the building, strangling the crumbling walls and invading the shattered windows. The tiled roof was collapsed and caved in across multiple parts of the large building. The tower in the back of the building was falling apart and she saw a family of small Nevermore's roosting in the tower's remains. There were close to a dozen bloody corpses at the foot of the stairs of the temple, alongside the smoldering remains of dead Grimm.

The sight of the dead bodies didn't faze Blake, she had seen much worse with the White Fang. She heard Yang swallow and looked at her; terror in the girl's purple eyes as they fluttered over the battlefield.

Blake turned away from the cliff and started to walk down the path that led down. She felt Yang grab her wrist; her grip a vice. She looked back at Yang, annoyed.

"The fuck is your problem, ninja bitch?" Yang demanded. Her eyes had turned red. Blake grabbed Yang's hand and pried it off her wrist, crushing her hand before letting it fall. She furrowed her brow

"My problem is that I'm stuck with you," she turned away from Yang.

"Who the fuck do you think you are? You think you can just help me fight an Ursa and then run away? We're partner's now, and we need to stick together!" she looked back at Yang.

"I am not your partner." Yang narrowed her eyes and the tips of her hair began to smolder.

"Yes you are, and you are going to stop for a moment and answer my questions!" A howl cut through the air; it sounded close. Yang looked around, her eyes widening. Blake turned her back to her and started to walk away.

"Goodbye," she said. Yang grabbed her wrist again.

"You're not going anywhere until you answer me, partner!" Blake snatched her hand back and started to rub the side of her face.

"I don't need a partner. And no I haven't seen Ruby. You happy now?"

"No, why on Remnant would I be happy? I'm fighting for my life, I don't know where my sister is, and I'm stuck with a rude bitch who keeps trying to run away from me." Blake narrowed her eyes.

"You're only slowing me down." Yang scoffed. There was another howl, closer this time. Blake started to walk away. "I'm leaving," she said. She felt Yang grab her wrist again and Blake spun around, slamming her fist into Yang's face. Yang fell to the ground, grunting in pain. Blake stared at her, seething.

"Let's get something straight, I do not need another partner, and if you ever lay your hands on me again, I will kill you. We clear?" Yang was rubbing the spot where she had hit her. The fire in her hair had died and her eye had turned back to purple.

"Yeah, jeez. Don't gotta be a dick about it." Blake turned and walked away. She heard Yang sigh and get up.

"Good. Now let's get down there before the Grimm kill us."

* * *

Pyrrha led the way through the forest, Jaune following after, shaking like a leaf as screams, gunfire, explosions, and roars echoed all around them.

"So, um, Pyrrha, how'd you get into this school?" Pyrrha laughed.

"Is that serious question?"

"Uh, yeah?" Pyrrha stopped and looked back at him. He genuinely looked confused by her answer.

"Do you not know who I am?"

"Should I?" Pyrrha smiled.

"No, I guess you shouldn't." She pushed a branch out of the way and held it for Jaune as he ducked under. "If you must know, I went to Sanctum Academy for several years and after graduating I decided to come here to Beacon instead of going to Haven."

"Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why would you come here? And not go to Haven?" Pyrrha grew quiet as she walked, her eyes downcast.

"I wanted a change of scenery. I grew up in Mistral, I wanted to know what the rest of the world was like." Jaune nodded his head.

"That makes sense. Ya liking it so far?"

"You mean aside from being dropped into a forest full of Grimm? Yes, the food here is quiet nice."

Pyrrha stopped as she stepped into a clearing. The grass was dead and overgrown, reaching up to her elbows. The clearing was situated next a cliff face, the exposed rock hard and almost completely vertical. She spied a large, jagged cave opening in the cliff face. Something about this place felt off and she was prepare to turn back and head into the forest when Jaune stepped forward and into the grass.

"I bet that cave is a shortcut. Come on Pyrrha, follow me." Pyrrha was uncertain but followed after him, unsheathing her spear and moving her shield to her arm. Jaune entered the cave and Pyrrha lingered at the entrance for several minutes; this didn't feel right. She heard Jaune scream and he bolted past her. "It's not a shortcut!" he screamed. Pyrrha looked back into the cave and started running after Jaune when she saw a Death Stalker come bellowing out of the cave.

* * *

Yang looked at every corpse as she walked up the stairs of the temple. None of them were here sister but the sight still made her stomach churn. Blake didn't seem phased by the carnage and walked through the torn apart doors.

The interior of the temple was just as bad as its exterior. Grass had sprung up in the cracks in the flooring and vines were strangling the pillars and columns. Sunlight filtered down through the ruined ceiling and a herd of deer were grazing on the grass. Flowers were growing from ancient paintings and moth eaten tapestries hung on the walls.

Yang followed Blake into a large square room. The floor was well kept and decorated with three separate and gigantic chessboards. One was covered with bronze chess pieces, another silver, and the last gold. Blake began to wonder the room, looking at the tapestries and flowers while Yang walked up to the gold chessboard. She picked up the knight piece; horses were neat, and gold was her color after all.

"The little pony okay?"

"You can pick any piece, it doesn't matter." Yang glowered at the girl as she stowed the knight piece away. She grabbed the other one on the end of the board; just in case Ruby lost hers on her way to the hill.

"Well we got what we came for, know how to get out of this forest?" Blake said nothing and left the room and headed towards the door. Yang sighed and followed after her; this was going to be a long four years.

Blake stood at the top of the stairs, her brow furrowed as she appeared to be in deep concentration.

"What is it?" Blake pointed to the tree line on the cliff above them as Ruby came sprinting from it.

"Ruby!" Yang yelled. She tried to run down but was stopped by Blake who held a hand in front of her and pointed at the tree line again. Yang's blood turned to ice as she saw a Nevermore appear above Ruby, a girl in white clutched in its talons.


	6. Players and Pieces

Blake watched as Ruby leapt over the edge of the cliff and slid down the cliff side. Rocks and gravel rained down as she slid and she tucked and rolled when she reached the ground. She looked up and started sprinting towards her and Yang. Blake watched the Nevermore, Gambol Shroud in hand, and she couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight of the Schnee caught in its claws. Any second now that prissy, bigoted brat would be torn to shreds.

To her surprise, the Schnee managed to get her sword out and stab the Nevermore in the talon holding her. It let go with an ear splitting screech and she fell in the air before a glyph appeared below her. She stood up, panting, and formed a staircase of glyphs all the way to the ground. She leapt down each one, not daring to look back at the Nevermore as it chased after her.

Ruby shoved past her and straight into Yang's open arms. Blake tuned the two of them out as they embraced, her attention returning to the Nevermore that was drawing closer to them as the Schnee made her way down her glyphs.

"We should move. Now," Blake said. Yang and Ruby were too busy crying and freaking out about how they were both still alive to hear her. She turned Gambol Shroud into its gun form, pointed it up, and fired a shot. The sound was deafening and caught Yang and Ruby's attention. They covered their ears and groaned in annoyance and pain.

"What the hell, dude!" Yang shouted, glaring at her.

"Did you have to fire that so close Blake?" Blake said nothing but pointed at the Nevermore that was fast approaching. Realization and horror crept over both of their faces as Weiss hit the ground and started sprinting towards them.

"Oh," Yang said.

* * *

Nora swung her arms in a carefree manor as she strode next to Ren. Her limbs had been tingly for a while after Ren cut her down but they were fine now. They had been wondering around in the woods for a while now and aside from the King Taijitu they hadn't run into any other Grimm. Well, living ones any way.

"I spy with my little eye-"

"A tree," Ren said.

"Yep! You're really good at this Ren."

"That's the only thing near us Nora." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Okay, your turn." Ren looked around for a little bit, looking up and down and around to try and find something aside from a tree. They exited the forest and reached a cliff overlooking a ruined temple. Its ceiling had been completely torn apart and the decapitated body of a Nevermore lay in the grass next to the ruins; smoke billowing from its decaying body . The tower in the back of the building had been knocked over and lay scattered in the field. Ice was frozen over the archway and parts of it clung to the door.

"I spy with my little eye, something big and ruined." Ren smiled at her. Nora pointed down at the temple and he nodded his head.

They made their way down to the temple; the sight of the dead students and the decapitated Nevermore causing their stomachs to churn. The smell of the dead flesh baking in the sun was absolutely sickening. They made their way up the ruined staircase and past the doors, the chill from the freezing ice causing them to shiver. The stone pillars and columns inside the building had crumbled apart and were shattered on the ground, the ceiling had been caved in and huge gashes were raked all across the floor and walls. Shotgun shells, shell casings, and magazines littered the floor, and Grimm blood was splattered on the walls and floor.

"Wow," Nora said. They entered into a large room littered with gold, silver, and bronze chess pieces. They were scattered across the floor and part of the ceiling had fallen onto the chess boards. Nora crouched down and picked up a golden rook. "This is a queen's piece right?"

"No Nora. And it looks to be missing as well."

"Darn. I was hoping to be the queen."

"I could buy you a crown if you want?" She pocketed the chess piece and shook her head.

"Nah, wouldn't be the same."

They explored the room a bit more, noting which pieces were missing, before exiting the room and striding past the battle scared entrance.

"That wasn't too hard, I don't see what all that 'You're all gonna die, bwahaha' stuff Ozpin was talking about was for." Nora said. Ren pointed at the grassy field in front of them.

"He may have been referring to that," Ren said. A red haired woman and a blonde haired man were sprinting towards them. The blonde looked like he was close to passing out while the red head was hardly sweating. Behind them a Deathstalker was scuttling towards them, trying to snatch the blonde boy with its giant pinchers.

* * *

Jaune's lungs were on fire and his legs felt like jelly as he sprinted after Pyrrha. His breathing was ragged and the air felt harsh against his throat as he wheezed for air. He looked back at the Deathstalker and screamed as one of its pinchers came within centimeters of his legs.

"We're almost there!" Pyrrha shouted. Jaune wheezed in response. Pyrrha came skidding to a stop, her shield up and her spear transforming into a rifle. "I'll buy you some time, go, go!" She put the rifle in the indent at the top of her shield and started firing at the Deathstalker.

Jaune ducked his head down and threw his hands over his head as Pyrrha fired around him. He ran past her and doubled his efforts to get to the temple. He saw a girl in pink standing at the entrance, a grenade launcher in hand and waving at him. A man in green with bladed submachine guns stood next to her. He looked back to see Pyrrha jump out of the way of the Deathstalker's stinger and come sprinting after him.

He came to a stop in front of the two at the steps of the ruins. He had his hands on his knees and gasped for air, his chest burning.

"Hi there!" The pink girl's face appeared in front of him. He weekly raised a hand in greeting. He stood up and watched the two enter the temple. He lingered at the door to make sure Pyrrha made it. Pyrrha was sprinting, her strides long, and sweat glistened on her skin as she barreled past him and into the ruins. Jaune followed after her and started to shove the ruined wooden doors close.

The doors groaned underneath his efforts. Pyrrha, the pink girl, and the green man came to his aide and they shoved the door close. The Deathstalker's stinger came splintering through the door and they heard the creature hiss as it strained to dislodge its stinger.

They stepped away from the doors, watching through the holes in the door as the Deathstalker tried to smash through the doors with its pinchers. Jaune held a hand to his chest, feeling his racing heart as he tried to catch his breath. They seemed to have a moment of peace.

"So who are you two? This is Ren!" The pink girl held her hands out, pointing at Ren. Her voice was high pitched, loud, and the words came out a mile a minute.

"And this is Nora." Ren said, pointing to Nora. His voice was soft and deep with a melancholic tone. Jaune held up his hand weekly as his breathing started to slow

"I'm Jaune." Pyrrha watched the door but stowed away her weapons all the same.

"My name is Pyrrha. Nice to meet you two." She held out her hand, which Nora happily shook with both of hers. Ren gently shook her hand after Nora was done.

"The feeling is mutual. The relics that we were sent to find are in the room over there." Jaune looked back at the room Ren motioned towards. He glanced at the door; the Deathstalker seemed like it would be busy for a while. He looked over at Pyrrha and she nodded at him.

They made their way into the room and searched it for a relic. Pyrrha held up a golden rook; surprise and confusion etched on her face.

"Chess pieces?" Jaune shrugged his shoulders in response.

"Maybe Ozpin really likes chess?" Pyrrha pocketed the rook.

"I suppose that is possible. Still…what would be the meaning behind these pieces?" Jaune held up his hands; figuring out the symbolic meaning of things was something his literature teacher had told him he was terrible at.

Jaune's head snapped to the room Ren and Nora were in at the sound of the door screeching as it was ripped off its hinges and the rumble as the Deathstalker's stinger came crashing through and into the floor. Jaune drew his sword and Pyrrha her spear as they ran into the room where Ren, Nora, and the Deathstalker waited.

* * *

Yang grabbed Ruby by the arm and threw her into the temple; there was no way she was going to let her sister be in any more danger than she had to be. Blake stood in the doorway, her sights set on the girl in white. Yang entered the ruins, standing in front of Ruby the entire time, her arm hovering over her heaving chest. She pressed her bracelets and Ember Celica came into place.

The girl in white, White was her name right? Came sprinting through the door, gasping for air and placing her hands on her knees. Blake stood in the archway and fired a few shots at the Nevermore before entering the ruins.

White stood up suddenly, still gasping for air, and held up her sword. She pulled a trigger and the sword's blade was enveloped in Blue Dust. She swung her sword and a wall of ice formed over the doorway. Yang heard the Nevermore scream as it landed in front of the ice wall. She heard Ruby gasp as the Nevermore started raking its talons across the ice. It clawed and pecked for a few minutes before she heard it fly away.

She exhaled, not realizing she had been holding her breath. Ruby moved past Yang's arm and pulled White into a hug.

"Great job Weiss!" Weiss' body went rigid at the contact and annoyance filled her icy blue eyes.

"Don't touch me," she said. Ruby let go and took a step back, sheepishly rubbing her arm.

"Sorry, won't do it again." Blake remained silent throughout the entire ordeal and pulled out the clip in her glock, checking how many rounds she had left. Satisfied with the amount she popped the clip back into place. Yang saw her pat down the pockets of her shorts, and how she mouthed each number as she counted her spare clips; five in total. Ruby looked over at Yang before saying

"So if this is the ruins, where are the relics?" Yang pulled out the second pony relic she had grabbed and tossed it to Ruby. She fumbled with it but managed to catch it.

"Already grabbed you one."

"So how are we supposed to leave?" Blake asked. Ruby rested her chin in her hand, thinking.

"We could climb out of that tower?" she said. Weiss scoffed.

"And then what? That Nevermore is still-" The Nevermore's beak came crashing through one of the holes in the ceiling, screeching. It forced its head through, its screams deafening as it ripped its way through the ceiling.

Blake fired at the Nevermore, each shot landing. Blood ran down the Nevermore's face and it screamed with pain. It withdrew its head before one of its claws came through, its talons razor sharp.

Yang ducked out of the way as the claw raked over the ground, leaving deep gashes in the stone. She sneered and a fired a blast at the claw. It grazed the talons and she heard the Nevermore cry out in pain.

Ruby ran past her, Crescent Rose in hand.

"Ruby! Where are you going?!" Yang yelled.

"To the tower! I'll try and snipe it from up there!" Before she could protest a part of the ceiling began to fall around her and she jumped out of the way. The Nevermore was looking in; the hole was almost big enough for it to fit its entire body in.

Weiss pulled the trigger on her sword and the chamber switched to Yellow Dust. She pointed her blade at the Nevermore and lightning shot out, hitting the Nevermore in the wing and catching fire. The Nevermore screeched and beat its wings against the ceiling, trying to put out the flames. Parts of the ceiling ran down on them and parts of the wall crumbled and fell. Yang fired at the Nevermore, aiming for its flaming wing. Blake emptied her clip firing at the Nevermore's torso while Weiss fired small chunks of ice at the Nevermore's legs.

The Nevermore writhed under the barrage of attacks and its body contorted as it tried to put out the flames. The flames died down and the Nevermore tried to swipe at them with its claws. They heard a crack of thunder and the Nevermore screamed as blood spurted out of its torso. The Nevermore turned around and walked away from the hole in the ceiling. They heard it climbing over the roof before they heard Ruby fire another shot.

Yang balled her hands into fists and shoved past Weiss and Blake. There was no way in hell that thing was gonna hurt Ruby.

* * *

Pyrrha aimed Miló at the Deathstalker and fired, the shot hitting the scorpion in one of its eyes. The creature screeched and scuttled back as blood began to ooze from the wound. She saw Ren fire at the Deathstalker with his submachine guns, the bullets indenting on the scorpion's armor.

The Deathstalker backed away from the door, hissing in annoyance. It began to scuttle away, leaving a trail of blood in the grass as it left. Nora ran up to the door and fired a grenade at the Deathstalker, blowing up next to it and causing it to shriek with pain and annoyance. But it didn't turn around and attempt to attack them but continued to scuttle away before turning towards the left. Pyrrha narrowed her eyes and went over to the door and watched it disappear into the forest surrounding the field.

"Woo-hoo! Suck it ya overgrown bug!" Nora cheered and jumped up and down at the doorway. Ren's expression was blank as he joined Nora in the doorway. Pyrrha walked down the steps and looked at the tree line.

"I don't like this." She said quietly. They would have less cover in the forest and would be left open to ambushes from other Grimm. She sighed. But they had no choice, if they wanted to pass the test they were going to have to go into the forest. She looked up at the doorway to see Jaune, Nora, and Ren looking down at her. Nora was bouncing from foot to foot as she stood next to Ren.

"Everything alright Pyrrha?" Jaune asked. She shook her head.

"It gave up too soon. I think it's planning something when we leave this temple." Ren nodded his head, either agreeing with her or in understanding she wasn't sure. Nora's cheery disposition didn't seem to falter and Jaune bit his lip and kicked a stray chunk of ice with his shoe.

"So what do we do?" Pyrrha sighed and pressed the switch on Miló, turning it into its spear form.

"We're going to have to see how things play out." She moved her shield into position and started walking towards the tree line.

"Hey, wait up!" she heard Juane run up to her side, his sword drawn and his shield on his arm, the weight pulling his arm down. Ren and Nora followed after her.

* * *

Weiss watched as Yang punched through her wall of ice; shattering it almost instantly. Yang's eyes had turned red and her hair was aflame as she made her way out of the building. She and Blake ran after her and they ran around the building to see the Nevermore climbing on the roof. It raised its burned wing and ran it through the crumbling tower. Dust and bricks went flying as the tower tipped over and Ruby came flying out of the window, her crimson cape trailing behind her.

Weiss gasped as the Nevermore grabbed Ruby's cape with its beak. She could see the terror on Ruby's face as she looked up at the Nevermore. It threw back its head and Ruby went flying into the air before landing in the Nevermore's beak. The Nevermore swallowed and let out a shriek of victory. Weiss could taste bile at the back of her throat and saw Yang fall to her knees.

"RUBY!"

* * *

Ren strode behind Pyrrha and Jaune, watching the trees as they walked. That Deathstalker had given up to easy and the thought of running into it in these cramped forests made him tighten his grip on Storm Flower, his knuckles turning white. He looked down and saw a puddle of black blood on the ground next to the tree Pyrrha and Jaune were passing.

"Jaune, Pyrrha, stop for a moment." They stopped and looked back and he opened his mouth to respond when he saw their eyes grow wide. He jumped forward; hearing the Deathstalker's stinger slam into the ground behind him. He heard Nora grunt and the sound of her hammer slamming into the scorpion's armored pinchers. He spun around and fired at the Deathstlaker, his arms shaking as he tried to keep them aimed at the creatures face.

He heard one gun click and then the other. He dropped the magazines as Jaune and Pyrrha ran past him. The Deathstalker swung one of its pinchers at Pyrrha and Jaune leapt into the way, deflecting the blow with his shield. Ren popped the new magazines into place as Pyrrha charged at the Deathstalker. She yelled and stabbed her spear into the Deathstalker's face, burying it into the eye she had shot earlier. The Nevermore screeched and thrashed about, its stinger smashing into the trees around them and knocking them over. The creature swung its pinchers in towards Pyrrha only to be deflected by Jaune again. Pyrrha jumped over the scorpion's pinchers, rolled, and turned around. She threw her shield at the Deathstalker's stinger as Nora continued to slam her hammer into the Deathstalker's side; cracks appearing and spider webbing with each blow. Jaune ducked down, slipping and falling into the dirt as the Deathstalker swung both of its claws at him. It let out a squeal as Pyrrha's shield sliced off its stinger, black blood gushing out and coating its boney armor. A gray light shimmered over Pyrrha's hand and the shield returned to her arm.

Jaune scrambled away from the Deathstalker, gasping for breath as he ran up to Ren. With no one in his line of sight, Ren opened fire on the Deathstalker. Ren heard Nora let out a 'woo!' as he saw bits of the Deathstaker's bone armor fall into the dirt. Noticing that Pyrrha's spear was still lodged in its eye, Ren ran over to Nora, firing into the exposed side of the scorpion. Nora brought her hammer back, a smile on her face, but lower it as Ren ran in front of her, emptying Storm Flower into its side. Jaune swung his sword at the Deathstalker's pinchers while Pyrrha blocked the other pincher, distracting it while he and Nora attacked its side.

"Nora, the spear!" Nora looked over at the Deathstalker's face, and seeing the spear jutting out of its face, gave a salute and ran over to join Pyrrha and Jaune. Ren dropped his empty magazines, and realizing he was out of ammo, ran towards its side and started hacking at its side with the blades. Black blood spurted out, splattering over his hands and staining his shirt. He hacked and hacked into the scorpions side, almost not hearing Nora call out his name. He looked up to see the Deathstalker's tail coming towards him and slam into him. He felt the wind get slammed out of his lungs and felt his body go flying back.

Lights exploded into his vision as the back of his head slammed into a tree. He slid to the ground, his head feeling like it was going to exploded as he heard the Deathstalker scream. He looked up to see Pyrrha and Jaune block both of the Deathstalker's pincher's as Nora charged its face and slammed her hammer into Pyrrha's spear. The Deathstalker shrieked as its body spasmed before slumping to the ground.

Ren shakily got to his feet and walked over to Jaune and Nora. Pyrrha walked up to Deathstalker and yanked her spear out of its eye. Black blood coated half of the spear as she collapsed it and slung it over her back.

"You okay Ren?" Nora appeared at his side, her hand on his shoulder as she looked at the back of his head. He smiled.

"I'll be fine. But I'd rather not do this again."

* * *

Blake took aim at the Nevermore as Yang screamed and Schnee dry heaved. She heard her gun click, and she dropped the mag and reloaded. She had liked Ruby and that thing was going to die. The Nevermore turned towards her but froze. It opened its beak and started gagging as a blade came jutting out of its throat. Blake lowered her weapon, her eyes widening in astonishment. She heard Schnee and Yang grow quiet as the blade spun around and the Nevermore's head came flying off. A torrent of black blood shot into the air like a geyser as Ruby climbed out of the Nevermore's body. She was soaked with saliva and blood. She collapsed her scythe and holstered it as the Nevermore's body fell off the roof and onto the grassy field, its black blood pooling around its body.

Yang ran past her, tears of joy on her face as she stood below Ruby.

"Ruby! I'm...I'm so glad you're okay," she sniffled. Ruby scratched the back of her head and smiled down at Yang.

"You think this is gonna wash off?" Yang laughed, her voice thick with emotion as Ruby jumped down and Yang caught her; hugging her, crying and laughing, Ruby hugged her back, burying her bloody face into her sister's hair.

Blake smiled.

* * *

Ozpin sat at his desk, his mug of coffee resting near his hands. Glynda stood before him with her scroll in hand. It was dawn and the rising sun was casting green shadows across the room. The only sound to be heard was the ticking of the hundreds of gears in his office.

"How many did Port and Bob find?"

"Ten sir; after receiving some food and counseling we'll be sending them back home." He leant back in his chair.

"How many dead?" She looked down at her scroll. Her eyes remained downcast as she answered

"Thirty seven." He took off his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"I want a copy of their names. And how many dropped out before taking the test?"

"Fifty three, sir," she said.

"So that leaves us with one hundred students overall?" he pursed his lips. "That's a new low for us." he stood up, put on his glasses, and walked over to the window pan, staring out at the rising sun.

"I've been giving it some thought and I think it's time we do away with the test; leave the partner and team formations up to the computers. Perhaps make this the final test for our Fourth Years; see that they can perform well in the field as a team." Glynda joined him by the window.

"Are you sure?" Ozpin looked at her, the green light highlighting her hair and eyes.

"If what Qrow has told me is true, we're going to need every Hunter we can spare." He sighed and went back to staring out the window. "Leave a copy of the names on my desk. I'll have the letters ready before the team ceremony." Glynda nodded her head and took her leave.

Ozpin stood at the window and continued to stare until the sun had fully risen. The letters were the worst part of his job.

* * *

Ruby sat high up in the Great Hall next to Yang and her friends, who were all busy talking to one another and congratulating themselves for surviving. She had her scroll in hand and was texting her friends back at Signal that she had passed and was waiting to see what team she would end up on. She saw Weiss sitting by herself near the front of the stage and she saw Jaune sitting below her. He was talking to a tall red haired woman sitting next to him. Ruby had seen Blake enter but couldn't find her in the sea of students. The hall was dimly lit and incredibly noisy, the stage was brightly lit and a lone microphone sat on the stage. The hall was packed and Ruby guessed the entire student body was crammed into the room.

She heard a tapping from a mic and looked up to see Ozpin standing on the brightly lit stage. The screens behind him were illuminated and the Beacon emblem was spinning on the screen. Ozpin looked around the full room for a moment before speaking into the mic.

"Good evening students. Tonight, we shall be welcoming in the newest batch of First Year Students." Applause radiated throughout the room. Ozpin held up his hand, silencing the room, before continuing. "I would like to take a moment of silence for the thirty seven students who died during their test." He bowed his head, and Ruby did as well. She looked back up when she heard Ozpin clear his throat. "Thank you. And now without further ado, let us begin." He pulled out his scroll and began to read.

"Russel Thrash, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark, please step forward." A group of large men walked down to the stage. One had a strong jaw and brown hair buzzed short, the other had lanky limbs and an angular face with his dark hair slicked back. One had a round face with sandy hair combed neatly into place and sad looking eyes, and the last had grey hair that fell past his shoulders and a plain face. They took their places in front of Ozpin, standing at attention. Their pictures appeared on the screen as Ozpin spoke. "The four of your retrieved the Bronze Bishop's. From this day forward you shall work together as Team CRDL, with Cardin Winchester as your leader." He held his hand out in front of him and they each shook it, thanking him and telling them they would do their best. Their team name formed underneath their pictures before fading away and being replaced with the spinning Beacon emblem.

"Sterling Sagittariis, Jet Blanc, Drey Gris, and Violet Akita, please step forward." Yang's friend stood up, Drey giving a small wave to Ruby before walking down, and they were joined by a purple haired dog Faunus that Ruby didn't know. They stood before Ozpin; all standing at attention aside from Jet who was leaning on Sterling for support. Their pictures appeared on the screen, Violet the only one smiling in her picture. "The four of you retrieved the Silver Rook's. From this day forward you shall be known as Team SVDJ, led by Sterling Sagittariis." He offered his hand and they all shook it. Their team name appeared on the screen before returning to the emblems. Ruby clapped and cheered alongside Yang as they made their way back to their seats. Yang congratulated Sterling for being chosen as the team leader as the next team came up to the stage. They sat through close to two dozen teams, none of whom Ruby knew but she cheered for regardless.

"Pyrrha Nikos, Jaune Arc, Nora Valkayrie, and Lie Ren, please step forward." Ruby shouted Jaune's name as he and the red haired woman stood up. They were joined on the stage by a red haired girl in a pink skirt who bounced with every step, and a somber looking man in a green tailcoat. They stood at attention, Jaune's hands resting in the wrong place, as their pictures appeared on the screen. "The four of you retrieved the Gold Rook's. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR." Nora broke her stance and hugged Ren, laughing with joy. Ren looked surprised but didn't protest or try to break the hug. Ozpin raised an eyebrow at the show of affection before resuming. "Led by Jaune Arc." Jaune broke his stance and his eyes widened in surprise. He pointed at himself, his hand shaking.

"Me? S-sir?" Ozpin smiled.

"Congratulations." Pyrrha gave him a congratulatory punch in the arm, knocking him to the floor. Laughter mixed with the cheers as Pyrrha helped him up and they made their way back to their chairs.

"And finally… Blake Belladonna, Weiss Schnee, Yang Xiao Long, and Ruby Rose. Please step forward." Yang's friends cheered them on as she and Yang made their way down, the crowd cheering and applauding as they head towards the stage. They were joined by Weiss and Blake seemed to materialize behind them before they took the stage.

Ruby stood at attention, her palms sweaty as she stared up at Ozpin. He smiled before saying "The four of you retrieved the Gold Knight's. From this day forward you will work together as Team RWBY. Led by Ruby Rose."

Ruby felt her jaw drop as the audience erupted with cheers and clapping. She felt tingly and her stomach was in knots as she felt Yang grab her and pull her into a hug.

"I'm so proud of you! I told you you would kick ass!" She stared up at the screen as her team's name appeared on the screen underneath her and her teammates pictures. It felt unreal. Ozpin cleared his throat and offered them his hand. They all shook it before taking their seats.

"I am proud to welcome all of you to Beacon; I can tell that you will be making it an interesting year. You will be assigned to your quarters and can unpack and celebrate. Stay safe and be prepared for your classes come morning. Goodnight, future Hunters." The lights on the stage went out and the students started to file out.

Ruby stood up and walked outside, stretching out her limbs. Yang stood next to her and they stood waiting for Weiss and Blake to join them. Sterling and Yang's other friends left to go comfort Violet, who was crying in the bathroom after realizing that one of her friends had died during the test.

Weiss came walking up, shortly followed by Blake. Ruby smiled at them and pumped her fist in the air. "Who's ready to celebrate Team RWBY being formed?"

"Fuck yeah!" Yang shouted, also pumping her fist in the air. Weiss sighed in annoyance and Blake remained silent and as they started making their way towards their dorms.

* * *

He pulled out his lighter and lit his cigar before taking a long drag from it. He let the flavorful smoke linger in his mouth before exhaling, forming a ring with the smoke. He smiled at the grim faced Faunus before him.

"You brought the Dust?" The red haired ram nodded and motioned behind him.

"The last raid went without a hitch. I'm sure the Schnee's won't miss their cargo." He smiled. "Or those employees." Roman took another drag from his cigar.

"Excellent. I must say, you and your group of…whatever they all are, are quiet good at raiding. Ever think about giving up on the whole, 'kill all humans' shtick?"

The silence was his answer. The ram crossed his arms.

"Where is she?" Roman pointed at the map of Vale behind him.

"My droogs have seen her lurking in this city and surrounding woods for the past few months. Mostly in the slums and abandoned areas in the city. She seems to change where she stays day to day. Makes catching her… a bit of a problem. I'm surprised that Tukson has never seen her in his store; from the way you talk about her it seems she's quiet the reader." The man narrowed his eyes.

"That's it? She said you would be able to find her."

"I will lover boy. I just need some time. Raiding Dust and tracking a runaway kitten is hard work." The man stepped forward, drawing his blade.

"Don't you dare mock her," he said. They stared at each other for a moment before Roman laughed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Bad habits die hard." He took a long drag on his cigar. "But rest assured, we'll find her." The man sheathed his sword. "Might I ask, whatever do you plan to do to that ca-er, girl, once we find her?" The man turned around and started walking away.

"I need to punish her for betraying me and our order." Roman watched him go and extinguished his cigar before tucking it away.


	7. The Badge and the Burden

Weiss watched as Ruby held her scroll up to the door that Glynda had told her would be her and her team's dorm for the next four years. Her duffle bag was slung over her shoulder and she shifted it as she pushed open the door.

Ruby walked in, Weiss, Blake, and Yang following her. Ruby and Yang both carried a duffle bag, Blake a worn out and patched up hiking backpack, and Weiss was lugging along two trunks. Weiss flicked the switch and the room's lights came on.

The room was decently sized and had two bunk beds. There was a small empty bookshelf situated between the beds, and four desks; two flanking either side of the door and one on either side of the wall. The floor was wood and so were the bunkbeds. A large red rug lay on the floor and the blankets covering the beds were red as well. There was a door on the either side of the wall; Ruby figured they were the bathroom and closet. There was a window above the bookshelf and moonlight filtered into the room.

"Dib's on bottom," Yang said, walking over to the bottom bunk on the right. She unzipped her duffle bag and started unpacking. Weiss stayed put as Blake and Ruby went to claim the top bunks.

"Are these safe?" Weiss asked. Ruby looked down, hair falling in her face.

"Of course they are! Yang and I used to use bunk beds all the time till we got our own rooms." Weiss hesitated before walking over to the bottom bunk on the left.

"Winter always told me they were dangerous," Weiss said to herself. Ruby ducked her head down to Weiss' bunk.

"You say something, Weiss?"

"Huh? Oh, I was just saying that it was so unprofessional for Ozpin to make us sleep in that hall again. Some of us have higher standards than a sleeping bag and a hard floor." Blake snorted as she climbed down and started filling the bookshelf up with her books. Weiss narrowed her eyes.

"What's so funny?" Blake didn't look up as she responded.

"Nothing. Just trying to imagine how we're gonna fit all our clothes in that little closet." Weiss eyed her as she put away her books; she didn't believe that was the reason but she wasn't going to push the subject. She opened up her trunks and started to move her clothes to the closet. She groaned with annoyance when she opened the door; Blake was right, putting all their clothes in there was going to be a pain. She stepped into the closet, looking at the coat hangers, trying to decide where to put her many jackets. She didn't hear Blake appear behind her. "Winter is your sister, correct?" she whispered.

"When did-? Yes, she's my older sister. How did you hear me?" she hissed back. Blake moved past her and hung up a white button down shirt.

"I have very good hearing. Why did you lie?" Weiss hung up the pea coat in her hands.

"Would you seriously want people knowing that you were afraid of bunk beds because you're older sister told you they were dangerous when you asked her to share one with you?" Blake hung up a pair of black pants.

"I suppose not," she said. Yang entered the closet, or tried to. The closet wasn't large enough to fit the three of them at the same time.

"Can you guys hurry up? And how in the hell are we supposed to fit all our shit in here?" Yang continued to grumble as she exited and waited at the door.

Blake and Weiss hung up their clothes, allowing Yang to put her clothes away. While Yang put her clothes away they claimed their respective desks, the ones next to the doors. Yang walked out of the closet, in her pajamas, dumping her bracelets on the desk closest to the closet.

"Ruby, it's your turn." Yang said as she sat down on her bed. Ruby didn't answer.

"Ruby, ya hear me?" A snore was her answer. Yang chuckled and lay on her bed, opening up her scroll and starting to watch a video. Blake went back to the closest and changed into her yukata.

She exited and went over to the bookshelf, staring at the well-worn spines before pulling out a book with a missing cover. She smiled and climbed into bed.

Weiss grabbed her night gown, toiletries, and went into the bathroom. She turned on the shower, the cool water shooting out. While the water warmed up she got out of her clothes and stood before the sink. She looked at the door and then back at the mirror before taking a deep breath.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall… what have I gotten myself into?" Her reflection stayed the same for a moment before she appeared. She wore her white dress and her face was clear of that ugly scar of hers.

"Whatever do you mean Weiss?" she asked, her voice sing song like. Weiss bit her lip. She looked at the door again.

"I mean," she sighed. "I never expected being a Huntress would be this…" she struggled to find the words. "Horrifying," "I know that Hunters have to kill Grimm but they're just so so…"

"Ruthless?" her reflection offered.

"Precisely!" Weiss said, her voice a bit too loud.

"Did you just expect them to roll over on their backs and let you kill them? They pushed us to the brink of extinction, did you really expect them to be as easy as the Knight?" Weiss trailed a hand over her face, the feeling of that brute's fist smashing into her face returning.

"I know that, but still. And I know that we're supposed to be a team but do I truly have to spend all my time with them? When I left Atlas I swore that I would be independent. How am I supposed to prove to Father that I can make it on my own if I'm stuck with three other people all the time?" Her reflection laughed, the noise loud and harsh.

"Yeah, because you going solo really helped with that Beowolf." Weiss grit her teeth.

"That was uncalled for." A knock at the door caused Weiss to yelp and jump back.

"Weiss? Who are you talking to?" It was Blake.

"I had a phone call! I'll be out in a bit," she shouted through the door. She looked over at the mirror to see the reflection had returned to normal. She sighed and stepped into the shower.

* * *

Yang gasped as she bolted upright, almost hitting her head on the bunk above her. She was coated in sweat as she threw off the thick red blanket. She checked her scroll; five in the morning.

She climbed out of bed and walked over to Weiss and Ruby's beds. She stepped on the wood railing on Weiss' bunk and peeked up at Ruby's bunk.

Ruby was in bed, drool running down her chin. Her clothes were wrinkled and her cape was tucked around her. Her hair was sticking up in random directions. Yang smiled and sighed in relief; it had just been a dream. She returned to her bed and lay there, staring up at Blake's bunk. Sleep eventually took her.

* * *

Weiss had her pencil at the ready, waiting for the Grimm physiology professor to say something worth noting. He was an older man, with a large gut and a booming voice. His thick moustache obscured his lips and his thick eyebrows made it hard to see his eyes. His hair was gray and meticulously combed into place. He paced across the room, motioning with his hands as he recounted the time he killed a Beowolf with his bare hands. The classrooms here were different than the ones back in Atlas; the room was square and instead of having a multitude of desks there were wooden bleachers and instead of having a digital screen the professor had a white board and markers.

Ruby was busy doodling something or another, while Yang leant back in her chair, staring up at the ceiling. Blake seemed to be the only other one who was paying attention.

"So then! Who would like to volunteer to do righteous battle with the Boarbatusk I caught the other night?" Weiss raised her hand; this would be her chance to redeem herself in her teammate's eyes after needing to be saved by the Beowolf and getting caught by the Nevermore. This would prove she could handle things all on her own. "Ms. Schnee! Thank you for volunteering. Please go grab your weapon while I fetch the fearsome beast."

* * *

Ruby stopped doodling as Weiss stood up and left. She looked over at Yang, who had put the chair back down.

"Pst, Yang. Where is Weiss going?"

"Huh? Oh, she volunteered to fight a Boarbatusk." Ruby nodded her head. She had no idea professors could have students fight Grimm in a classroom.

Weiss returned a moment later, her sword in hand as Professor Port came out of a backroom next to the whiteboard, lugging along a large cage where a very angry Boarbatusk was thrashing about. Weiss took her stance as the professor came to a stop.

"Kick its ass, Weiss!" Yang shouted.

"Don't die," Blake said.

"Make us proud, Weiss!" Ruby shouted. Weiss seemed to ignore them as she kept her focus on cage. Professor Port smiled, or at least it seemed that way, as he said.

"Let the match, begin."

He opened up the cage and the Boarbatusk came barreling out, squealing with rage as it charged at Weiss. She ducked out of the way as it crashed into the wall.

"You can do it Weiss!" Ruby shouted. Weiss said nothing as she charged at the boar. The boar caught her sword with its tusks and started to jerk around. Ruby saw Weiss struggle to keep a grip on her sword.

"Come on Weiss, own that pig!" Weiss looked over at her, then back at the boar as it ripped her sword out of her hand, launching it across the room. Ruby saw Weiss' eyes go wide as the boar tackled her, knocking her to the floor.

"Taking a page out of my book eh?" Port laughed. Weiss rolled out of the way as the boar tried to tackle her again. She put a glyph on the ground below her, it looked like the gears of a clock. With amazing speed she sprinted over to her sword, picking it up as the boar shook its head trying to find her. It turned around a squealed and started to charge at her.

"Weiss, go for its belly. It's whe-"

"Ruby! Stop trying to help me!" Weiss yelled. Ruby frowned but closed her mouth; maybe she was distracting her.

Weiss laid a glyph on the ground in the way of the boar's path ad stood in place, baiting it. The boar ran over the glyph and was launched onto the air. Weiss leapt from her place and stabbed through the boar's soft belly. They landed on the ground and Weiss pushed her blade further into the boar. It squalled and squirmed as a pool of blood began to spread across the floor. It twitched for a few moments before Weiss withdrew her blade. She stood up, sheathed her sword, and turned around and left.

"Ms. Schnee? Where are you going?" Port asked. Weiss looked over her shoulder as she opened the door.

"Restroom," she said, and left.

Port cleared his throat and turned towards the class. "As Ms. Schnee demonstrated, the Boarbatusk is vulnerable to attack on its belly. I want you all to take note of that. For your homework I want to you to write an essay on what you would have done if you had volunteered instead of Ms. Schnee." He looked at the clock. "Ah, I still have time left for one more story. When I was a young lad-"

Ruby tuned the professor out as she looked at the door.

* * *

Weiss stormed into the bathroom and stood in front of the sink. Her reflection was there, filing her nails.

"What was that?" she asked the reflection. She blew on her nails before answering.

"You used helpful information from a teammate."

"But why? I was supposed to prove that I can fight Grimm on my own. That I don't have to be saved or helped every time." Her reflection rolled her eyes.

"You got yourself out of that Nevermore's talons."

"True, but I shouldn't have been in a situation like that to begin with. Getting scooped up by a Nevermore is hardly befitting of a Schnee." Her reflection seemed satisfied with its nails and dropped the filer.

"Look, shit happens, okay? And I know we swore that we would be independent and prove our mettle to father but it's impossible to truly work alone in this world. Why do you think they have us working as a team in the first place?"

"So what would you have me do then?" Weiss huffed.

"Listen to any advice your teammates have for you. Let them help you. Hell, maybe even try to befriend them." Weiss laughed.

"Friends, that's a laugh. But if the best way to prove that I don't need Father is by being a good teammate then I am going to be the best teammate this world has ever seen." Her reflection smiled.

A large buzzing noise sounded; signaling that the first class was over and the students should move onto their second. Her reflection had returned to normal. Weiss washed her hands and left the bathroom.

* * *

Jaune stepped out of his dust theory class, his head hurting as he tried to remember all the information the professor dumped on them. Nora skipped past him, humming as she made her way towards her second class. He felt a tap on his shoulder and he looked behind him to see Cardin standing behind him. He had a gentle smile on his face.

"Hey Jaune, noticed you seemed sort of out of it after the lecture. You need any help with this stuff?"

"No thanks, I should be okay. Thanks though."

"Don't mention it buddy. My dad works for the SDC so I know a lot about Dust." Jaune nodded his head and started walking down the hall. Cardin went the other direction, chatting with one of his teammates.

Jaune noticed Ozpin walking through the halls, hobbling along on his cane. Jaune chewed his lip before walking over to Ozpin.

"Uh, Headmaster, sir?" Ozpin looked back at him.

"Ah, Mr. Arc, what can I do for you?" Jaune scratched the back of his head.

"If you don't mind me asking, did you make a mistake making me the team leader? I mean, why not Pyrrha or Ren? They seem better suited for that kind of thing." Ozpin took a sip from the near empty coffee mug he had with him.

"I have made a great many mistakes but I don't think appointing you as a team leader is one of them. The future might prove me wrong but at the moment it seems like a good decision."'

"But sir, I don't have any experience leading a team."

"Neither did your sister, and she turned out to be one of the best students I ever had." Ozpin tucked his cane into his arms as he pulled out his scroll. "And if your transcripts are to be believed then you should be our most talented student this year." Jaune laughed

"Yeah, my transcripts…" Ozpin narrowed his eyes as he looked at his scroll.

"You have a lot to live up to Mr. Arc. Don't disappoint me." Ozpin began to leave but stopped. "Mr. Arc, which combat school did you go to again? In my old age, my memory is starting to wander."

"Uh, the good one, sir? You know, that one my sister went to." Ozpin chuckled.

"I see," he said. Ozpin left and Juane exhaled.

* * *

Ruby ran the brush through the barrel of Crescent Rose. She and Yang had a free period and she was using that time to clean her baby. She loved the smell of gun oil and disassembling and reassembling weapons was so relaxing for her. She felt her scroll start to vibrate and she put the brush and barrel down on the table. She pulled the scroll out and saw that it was Weiss who was calling her. She hadn't seen her since Port's class that morning, not even at lunch.

"Hi Weiss. Everything okay?'

"Yeah I'm fine. Where are you?"

"In our room; I'm cleaning my scythe," she said. She heard Weiss say something away from the phone. It was noisy, like she was in a crowded room.

"What kind of coffee do you like?" Ruby scrunched her eyebrows.

"What kind of-? Why do you want to know that?"

"Just answer the question," Weiss said.

"One shot of cream and five packets of sugar." Ruby said. She heard Weiss sigh.

"Seriously? You don't want a cappuccino or a latte or something like that?"

"I have no idea what any of those are." Weiss sighed again.

"I'm going to have to treat you guys sometime then. Get a taste of some real coffee." Weiss hung up and Ruby returned to cleaning Crescent Rose.

* * *

Weiss opened the door to her dorm, a Sundoe cup in each hand. She couldn't believe that she had to spend most of her free period on the shuttle just to go get a decent cup of coffee. She saw Ruby hunched over her desk, weapon parts and cleaning materials spread over the desk. Weiss walked up to Ruby and set her coffee down on the desk. Ruby looked up from the weapon part she was cleaning.

"Oh, hi Weiss, didn't hear you come in." She picked up the cup and took a sip. "Thanks Weiss. What's the occasion?" Weiss drummed her fingers over her cup before responding.

"I wanted to thank you. For helping me with that Boarbatusk."

"You don't have to thank me for that," Ruby said. Weiss sipped from the straw in her coffee, iced white chocolate mocha, before continuing.

"But I do. It was rude of me to snap at you like that. And I also wanted to thank you for saving me from that Beowolf, and for not telling anyone about… me, crying." Ruby drank from her cup as she listened to Weiss. "When I came here I decided that I would do everything on my own, that I wouldn't accept anyone's help. I realize that that's impossible now and I wanted to let you know that I'm going to be the best teammate you have ever seen. So thank you, Ruby." Weiss turned to leave but stopped and pointed at a part of Crescent Rose. "You missed a spot," she teased.

Ruby smiled and set the coffee on the desk before getting back to cleaning. She still had a few minutes left before she had to go to Glynda's class.


	8. Jaunedice

**And here' the next chapter!  
**

 **And thank you for the review Scott! I don't know what that word means but if you are asking if it will end soon, then the answer is no. Hope you like this chapter.**

 **Chapter 7: Jaunedice**

Jaune's arms felt like lead as he struggled to keep his sword and shield up. Cardin stood across from him, his mace casually slung over a shoulder. Sweat stung Jaune's eyes and his damp hair clung to his forehead. Cardin smiled and beckoned Jaune over. Jaune grit his teeth and charged at him, letting out a battle cry as he charged. Cardin unslung his Mace and caught Jaune's blow, effortlessly holding him at bay.

"Nice try Jauney boy. But you're about to lose," he said. Cardin kicked him in the shin and Jaune felt his body crumple under the blow. He looked up, his shield meekly held over his torso as Cardin towered over him. Cardin slung his mace over his shoulder as a loud buzzer sounded. Cardin offered his hand and Jaune took it. He was brought to his feet as Professor Goodwitch marched over, her heels clicking, and a scowl on her face.

"Mr. Arc, what have I been telling you to pay attention to since our first class?" Jaune scratched the back of his head.

"My aura?"

"And would you mind sharing with the class what your scroll says?" Jaune pulled out his scroll and checked it; his team's aura levels were displayed and his had dipped into the red, at about twenty percent. Jaune looked up at Goodwitch, who had her arms crossed and was staring at him. He looked around the classroom, where the other students were staring. His teammates were watching him, Pyrrha looking especially concerned. The professor cleared her throat. "Well?"

"It's…it's in the red," he mumbled. Goodwitch nodded her head and pulled out her scroll.

"Take your seat Mr. Arc. Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Winchester." Jaune walked off the battle stage and stumbled into his seat, sinking into the bleacher chair; he could feel the class's eyes on him as he tried to disappear below the desk. Cardin nodded and smiled at the professor before taking his seat.

"During combat it is essential to keep track of your aura levels. Without it, you are as good as dead, whether you are up against a human opponent or a creature of Grimm. In a tournament round, you would also be disqualified for allowing your aura to dip so low. Those of you who have an interest in participating in the Vytal Festival Tournament during the fall semester will want to take note of that." A loud buzzing sounded and the students started to file out. Jaune stood up and grabbed his bag, making a bee line for the door.

"Mr. Arc. A word," the professor said. Jaune sighed, told his teammates that he would meet them at lunch, and went over to the professor. She sighed and took off her glasses, cleaning them on her blouse before putting them back on. "What appears to be the issue Jaune? Are you unwilling or unable to heed my advice? Or is there an issue that Professor Duerf should be helping you with?" Jaune shuffled his feet as he tried to think of an excuse.

"When I'm out fighting like that I don't really think about checking my scroll to make sure I can take the next hit," he finally said. Goodwitch said nothing but nodded her head.

"Understanding the limits of your own aura is not just checking your scroll. It helps, and is great for keeping track of your comrades, but you have to be able to feel your aura; what it can and can't withstand and when it has reached its limit." She smiled at him. "We're your instructors and we want to make sure you all succeed, and don't get yourselves needlessly killed when you finally enter the battlefield. I would recommend taking Aura Conditioning if you aren't already; Professor Azura is one of the best professor's we have and I have never met a woman with a stronger aura than her." Jaune nodded his head, he had Aura Conditioning and it wasn't doing him much good.

"Thanks for the advice Professor, I'll do better next time," he said. Goodwitch nodded her head and motioned for him to leave.

Jaune walked through the door to find Cardin waiting for him. He had his leg propped up against a wall and had his arms crossed. He grinned as Jaune came walking out.

"Jauney boy! I know old hag Goodwitch may not think so but you did better in that last match, you managed to land some hits on me this time." Jaune started to walk down the hall, Cardin walking next to him.

"Thanks Cardin, glad somebody thinks I'm not a total waste of space," he said. Cardin frowned.

"Ah come on man, don't talk like that. Listen, how about I help you out, like a personal trainer? I can whip you into fighting shape in no time." Jaune chewed on his lip before answering.

"I really appreciate the offer but I'm really hungry right now so can I give you an answer after lunch?" Cardin nodded his head in approval.

"Of course, buddy."

* * *

Blake absent mindedly listened to Nora as she recounted a recurring dream she had of hunting Beowolves and selling their pelts with Ren. She continued to read as the rest of her team, Team JNPR, and Team SVDJ all listened intently. Her ears twitched underneath her bow as Nora slammed her hands against the table to emphasize a statement. Her friends broke into laughter at a crude comment Jet made in regards to Nora's story. Blake sighed, dog eared the page, and closed the book.

She took a bite of her tuna salad and looked down the table to see Weiss filing her nails, Violet sitting next to her.

"Weiss?" Blake heard her ask. Blake watched as Weiss looked at Violet, her ice like eyes darting to her dog ears. Blake narrowed her eyes. "Can…can I get your autograph?" Violet squeaked out. Weiss' eyes darted to her ears again as her mouth opened and closed several times.

"I'm sorry, I don't give out autographs," Weiss said finally. Violet looked back down at her plate and started picking at her food with her fork. Blake had a bad taste in her mouth as Weiss started to eat the salad she had before her.

Disgusted, and losing her appetite, she looked at the other end of the table. She saw Jaune picking at his chicken nuggets as Pyrrha sat beside him with a concerned expression.

"I don't know Pyrrha, I've been trying my best and I'm still not seeing any improvement."

"You will get better Jaune; you're not going to suddenly become the best fighter in the school, it takes time." Jaune picked up a chicken nugget, nibbling on it before responding.

"I guess." He took a bite of the nugget. "You think I should get help from Cardin? He offered to train me." Pyrrha chewed on her lip

"I don't know about that Jaune, he may be nice to you but he's a-"

A scream and a loud crash echoed throughout the room, silencing all the noisy conversations going on. Blake jerked her head in the direction of the noise; one of the older students, Velvet Scarlatina, a rabbit Faunus, had tripped and fallen next to Team CRDL's table. They were laughing as Velvet tried to wipe mashed potatoes off her uniform. Cardin grabbed her by her rabbit ear and jerked her up, causing her to yelp with pain; eliciting more howls of laughter from the group of men.

"Look at this freak, who would have thought they would let an animal get past her first year." Cardin laughed as he pulled on her ear, jerking her head into the table. Velvet whimpered and tried to pry his hand off.

"Please, it hurts," she pleaded.

"Good, teach you stupid animals to not come near me or my boys table." Blake gnashed her teeth and stood up.

"Leave her alone, Cardin!" she yelled. Cardin and his team looked over at her, he never let go of her ear.

"And why should I?" he sneered.

"Or you'll answer to me," she said, grasping the handle of Gambol Shroud. Cardin's teammates went 'oooo' as Cardin laughed, yanking on Velvet's ear again and causing her to cry out in pain. Blake saw a blur of movement in the corner of her eye but kept her attention on the group of men across from her.

"What, are you her girlfriend?" Cardin's head was slammed into the table and the arm holding onto Velvet's ear was jerked behind his back. He cried out in surprise and pain.

"No, that would be me," Coco Adel said. She was the fashionista team leader of Team CFVY, known for her glamor, sass, and lethal combat skills. Velvet scrambled to her feet and stood behind Coco as she pressed Cardin's face further into the wood table and slowly pulled his arm out of its socket.

"Now you're going to listen to me, and you're going to listen well, understand?" she said.

"Go to hell you disgusting animal fuck-ah!" Cardin screamed out in pain as Coco yanked back on his arm. Cardin's teammates stood back, looking at one another and unsure of what to do.

"What was that?" Cardin whimpered as his arm was pulled. Coco smiled, still pulling on his arm, as she said. "You and your sorry group of fuck heads are never going to touch Velvet ever again. And if I find out you did this to her again, or any of the other Faunus we have here, I will kill you. We clear?"

"We're clear," Cardin whimpered. Coco yanked on his arm.

"Clear what?"

"Gah! Crystal clear!" Cardin yelped. Coco stayed in place for a moment before pushing down on his head and giving his arm one final tug, eliciting a scream, before letting go and walking over to Velvet. She wrapped her arm around Velvet's shoulders and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Velvet smiled bashfully and a blush creeped into her cheeks.

"You okay, babe?" Coco asked, taking off her sunglasses to inspect Velvet's ears.

"I should be fine. Thank you." She smiled and gently kissed Coco on the lips. Coco smiled, and flipped the lone strand of bronze and copper hair out of her face before pointing at Blake.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Blake. Blake Belladonna." She said. Coco smiled as she put her sunglasses back on.

"Remind me to buy you and your team drinks some time." With that Coco and Velvet took their leave; Coco's arms wrapped around Velvet's shoulders and Velvet's around Coco's waist.

Blake sat down as Cardin's teammates swarmed his side, whispering idle threats and slurs towards Coco and Velvet as they left. Cardin clenched his teeth as he massaged his arm; Coco hadn't dealt any permanent physical damage but Cardin's ego was surely hurting right now. Blake grinned as Cardin winced as his teammates unsuccessfully tried to help ease the pain in his arm. Her appetite returning she started to tear into her tuna salad as she listened to the new conversations that were springing up around her.

* * *

Jaune drummed his pencil against his notebook as the Remnant History professor prattled on. The professor was a scraggly man with a wild mane of emerald hair that no brush could tame. He had thick glasses that had a habit of sliding down his nose. His clothes were a mess and mix matched and he sprinted from one end of the classroom to the other as he tapped on a map of Remnant with a yard stick. A multitude of coffee cups and empty cans of energy drinks littered his cluttered desk.

Jaune hated history class, remembering all those name and dates was a huge pain for him, and he had no idea why they needed to learn about the Faunus Right's Revolution if they were going to be fighting monsters for the rest of their lives. Jaune balanced his pencil on his desk as the professor went on about how the humans rounded up the Faunus and forced them all to live in Menagerie, wherever that was.

"Now I know many of you think this is all ancient history but the effects of the Revolution can still be felt to this day. May I ask, how many of you have faced discrimination because of your Faunus heritage?" the professor asked, standing still for a moment. Jaune saw Violet, Drey, Velvet, and a couple of students he didn't know hold up their hands. The professor shook his head.

"Disgusting. Deplorable. Absolutely dreadful." He started to pace again "Now class I want you all to realize that this kind of intolerance and hatred is what leads to needless violence." He shook his head as he paced, swinging his yard stick willy-nilly. "Just look at the White Fang; from peaceful protestors to dangerous terrorists, all due to needless bigotry." He slammed the stick on one of the bleachers.

"Now then, who can tell me what is believed by many scholars to be the turning point in the third year of the Revolution?" Jaune saw Weiss' hand shoot up. "Ms. Schnee!" The professor pointed at her with the yard stick.

"The Battle of Fort Castle," she said. The professor smiled.

"Precisely! Excellent, Ms. Schnee!" Jaune threw back his head, bored out of his mind. He yelped when he heard a sharp crack right in front of him. The professor was standing in front of him, the yard stick slapped down on his notebook.

"Mr. Arc, would you be so kind as to tell the class what advantage the Faunus had over General Lagune and his army?"

"Uhhhh…." Jaune had absolutely no idea. He was always taught that General Lagune lost, not what factors led to his defeat. His eyes darted around the room, hoping that it was evident that he needed help. He saw Pyrrha point at her eyes before making a cupping motion over her eyes.

"Binoculars?" he said. The professor glared at him as Pyrrha face palmed and the students around him started to snicker.

"Hilarious, Mr. Arc. But this is not a comedy class. I would appreciate it if you would take this serious." He zipped away from his desk to the center of the room.

"Mr. Winchester, do you know the answer?" Cardin sat up, looked down at Velvet, and said

"Animals are easier to train than humans. Probably were better trained for a night assault." The professor shook his head as Pyrrha spun around in her seat.

"I take it you didn't learn you lesson at lunch today?" she said, a flicker of a smile on her lips. Cardin stood up, anger flaring in his eyes.

"You got a problem with me?" He balled his hands into fists.

"Mr. Winchester, take your seat," the professor said, his tone icy and leaving no room for discussion. Cardin stood for a moment before taking his seat and grumbling to himself. The professor turned his attention to Pyrrha. "Do you have the answer, Ms. Nikos?"

"I do. The answer is night vision. The Faunus are well known for their heightened senses." Blake, who was sitting next to Pyrrha, smiled and added to her answer.

"General Lagune underestimated his opponent and tried to ambush them in their sleep. His troops were outmatched and he was soundly defeated and taken captive."

"Correct! Thank you Ms. Nikos and Ms. Belladonna!" The bell rang and the students started to make their way out of the room. "Mr. Arc, and Mr. Winchester, my desk, now." Jaune groaned and trudged up to the professor's desk while his team left. Cardin came up next to him, his back stiff and his jaw set. The professor sat on the edge of his desk, tapping his foot as he spoke.

"The two of you have been struggling with my class since day one. I don't know if it's due to your stubborn nature or if you just don't give a damn, but whatever the reason, it ends today." He stopped tapping his foot and stood up, his lanky body towering over the both of them. "We only accept the best of the best here and after the hell you went through to get to my classroom, I would appreciate it if you gentleman treated this class with the respect it deserves. Now! I want you both to read ahead, pages fifty one to ninety one to be precise, and write a ten page essay summarizing the Faunus War. Good day gentleman." The professor motioned for the two of them to leave.

* * *

Pyrrha stood next to the door, waiting for Jaune to leave Professor Oobleck's class. Using her semblance she spun a small metal ball in a circle above her hand; it was a relaxing way to pass the time when she was bored. She pocketed the ball as a girl a bit older than her came up to her. She had dark skin, and bright red hair cut in a pixie cut. She smiled at Pyrrha, holding something behind her back.

"You're Pyrrha Nikos right?" she asked. Pyrrha smiled and nodded her head; she knew what this was about. She pulled out a small book and a golden pen. "Can I get your autograph?"

"Of course," she said, forcing the smile to stay on her face. She signed her signature and saw the girl's eyes light up as she handed it to her. "There you go." The girl clutched the book to her chest and left, shouting out a thanks. Pyrrha let the smile drop after the girl left her line of sight and she let out a sigh.

She heard the door open and saw Jaune and Cardin come walking out. They both looked angry.

"Well isn't this some shit, Jaune? Ten pages, is that lunatic serious?" Jaune nodded his head.

"Yeah that is pretty bad. No idea how I'm gonna get it done." Cardin stopped, his back to Pyrrha.

"Well how about we have a homework session in the library? My teammates could help us out. And I know we wouldn't get any help from those animal lovers in the rest of the class." Jaune scratched the back of his head.

"I don't know Cardin, I don't really know them and I don't know if I could be much help. I'm not good at history."

"Alright, fair enough. Oh! Have you given my personal training offer any thought?" Jaune rubbed his arm.

"I have. I appreciate the offer but I want to get better on my own." Cardin crossed his arms.

"You being straight with me Jaune?"

"I am Cardin, I really appreciate the offers for help but I want to get better on my own." Cardin sighed and started to walk away.

"Well if you ever change your mind just let me know; we guys gotta look out for one another, right?" Jaune nodded his head. Cardin walked off and Jaune sighed. Pyrrha walked up, Jaune finally noticing her. She scowled as she grabbed his hand.

"We need to talk," she said as she started to walk off, dragging Jaune along with her.

Pyrrha threw open the door to the school roof and marched onto the rooftop. It was night and there was a slight chill in the air. Fireflies danced through the air and the moon was hidden behind the tower in the center of the campus. She came to a stop in the middle of the roof, and let go of Jaune's hand. She stood before him, her arms resting at her sides. Jaune crossed his arms.

"What's this about Pyrrha?" he asked.

"I've noticed that you have been having a tough time in class and that you aren't exactly the best of fighters either." Jaune huffed.

"So, what, you're offering to help me get better, is that it?"

"Yes, that's exactly it."

"And why should I get help from you? Cardin already offered." Pyrrha scowled.

"Because Cardin is, is," she took a deep breath. "A bigot and a jerk, and I don't think you should hang around him, Jaune."

"What are you? My mother?"

"No, Jaune. I'm your partner and your teammate. And I would assume your friend as well." She took a step near him. He was looking down and his messy, straw colored hair concealed most of his face. She grasped his hands and held them. "Let me help you Jaune. You were good enough to get in, let me help you thrive here." Jaune jerked his hands back and grabbed his arms.

"But I wasn't good enough," he said. Pyrrha scrunched her eyebrows.

"What do you mean? You survived the initiation test; you got accepted didn't you?" Jaune shook his head.

"I lied."

"What do you mean?" she asked. He wheeled on her, tears were running down his face.

"What I mean Pyrrha is that I fucking lied! I cheated! I'm not meant to be here, my transcripts were fake!" he screamed. Pyrrha stood there in silence, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to process what he just said.

"Why?" she finally managed. Jaune laughed, the sound anything but humorous.

"Because I wanted to be like my grandfather and my sister. They're both amazing heroes, and what am I? Just some stupid kid stuck in the ass end of Vale prattling his life away! Why can't I be like them? Why can't I?" He took a shaky breath. "Because I was never good enough; not for the instructors, and not for my father. Do you have any idea what it feels like to never be good enough? Do you?" Pyrrha looked down as Jaune stared at her, his eyes red and puffy.

"I do actually," she said. It was Jaune's turn to be stupefied.

"What?" Pyrrha took a step towards him, playing with her hands.

"I haven't been entirely truthful with you. The reason why I was so surprised you asked me how I got into Beacon is because I'm the Mistral Regional Tournament Champion, four years and counting."

"Sooo, you're like a celebrity or something?" he asked. Pyrrha nodded her head.

"Yes, but I never wanted to be. My mother always wanted to be the champion but never could and ever since I was a little girl she's been having me trained to fight in the tournaments and win. But nothing was ever good enough for her. I would win and win but she never seemed pleased with how I did it. "You took too many hits", "You should have used your semblance more" nothing was ever good enough for her. Even after breaking the world record for how many consecutive years a person has held the title, she still wasn't happy "People should be too afraid to even challenge you!" So yes Jaune, I know a thing or two about not being good enough for someone." Jaune kicked at a pebble on the rooftop.

"That's why you came to Beacon, and not Haven."

"Yes, I wanted to get away from my mother; to put my skills to good use and not waste my life away fighting her battles." She walked over to him and grasped his hands again, looking down at him. "So please Jaune, let me help you. I don't want to see you get yourself killed." Jaune looked down at their clasped hands.

"Even after finding out I'm a liar and a cheat, you still want to help me?" He looked up at her, tears still in his eyes. She smiled.

"Of course Jaune, you're my leader and my friend. I want you to be the best that you can be." Jaune chewed his lip before responding.

"Okay." Pyrrha's smile grew wider and she pulled him into a hug.

"Fantastic! We can train up here. No one can see us, and people can think you are getting better on your own!" Jaune smiled

"Just promise to go easy on me. I'm not exactly regional tournament material." Pyrrha laughed.

"You will be after I'm done with you."

 **And that's it. Let me know what you think.**


	9. Forever Fall

Nora kicked her feet on her bed as Ren read a book on the bunk below. It was night and the lights were out in Team JNPR's room. Ren was burning some incense and scented candles; he had had a stressful day dealing with a multitude of tests and calming scents always made him feel better. Reading by book light was another hobby that Ren found relaxing.

"So what do you think Jaune and Pyrrha are doing?" Nora asked, her voice calm for once.

"What do you mean?" Ren asked, flipping a page. Nora stopped kicking the bed and her head appeared at the top of Ren's bunk.

"What I mean is why do you think they keep sneaking out at night? If they're screwing each other they just have to ask for some privacy." Ren continued to read.

"Maybe they prefer the thrill of being caught in public," he said, his tone monotone. Nora opened her mouth to respond before she came crashing to the floor. She let out a groan before sitting up.

"You okay?" Ren asked, not looking away from his book.

"Yeah, a little head trauma never killed anyone," Nora said, rubbing the back of her head. She sat on the edge of Ren's bed and laid back, her head resting on his legs.

"But I don't think they would be into that; Jaune seems too scared to try."

"And Pyrrha?" Nora shrugged.

"Eh, maybe." Nora kept her head on his legs as she started to trace smiley faces and hearts in the wood of the top bunk.

"Would you be willing to try that?" Nora asked.

"What?"

"Sex in public." Ren shrugged in response.

"Probably not. Too many germs." Nora giggled.

"You're such a neat freak Lie."

"Can you blame me?" Nora shrugged before resuming her tracings. After a little while she climbed fully into Ren's bed and laid next to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Whatcha readin'?" Nora asked, looking down at the book in his hands.

"Words, madam, words," he said. Nora lightly smacked his chest and laughed.

"Don't be silly Lie, what's it about?"

"It's about three royal families fighting to restore a lost empire."

"Oooo, neat," she said. Nora closed her eye, and listened to Ren's breathing; it was slow and relaxing. She ran her hand over his chest, his shirt silky smooth, before resting her hand on the scar on his pec. "Do you ever have good dreams?" she asked.

"Sometimes," he said.

"What are they about?" Ren said nothing but turned to look at her, a ghost of a smile on his face. Nora smiled back and poked him on the nose.

"Boop," she said. Ren poked the tip of her nose.

"Boop," he said.

* * *

The forest Blake and her classmates found themselves in was filled with white trees covered in scarlet leaves. Pink flowers bloomed on a great many of them and a sweet scent lingered in the air. The grass was scarlet as well and ran up to her stocking covered calves. The forest was moderately quiet but every now and again she heard the cry of some far off animal or Grimm.

Professor Peach and Professor Bobadilla (Bob for short, he insisted) stood before the group of students. Peach was a scraggily woman with long fingers and legs. Her hair was pink and her eyes green. All her clothes, most of them green and brown, were stained with dirt and sap. She wore thick wide rim glasses and had a kind face with a warm smile.

Bob was a short man with arms as thick as a Boarbatusk's head. He wore a tattered and patched up leather vest and a necklace made from animal bones, Blake guessed that his thick chest hair was all he needed to stay warm. His dark hair was pulled back in a bun and he had a trimmed beard. His camo cargo pants were patched up as well and Grimm blood stained most of it. A large knife hung at his hip, and a crossbow was slung across his back.

"Okay class, does anyone remember why we are on a field trip?" Peach asked. A student raised their hand and Peach pointed at them. "Yes dear?"

"To collect sap?" They guessed.

"Correct! Can anyone guess why Professor Bobadilla is here?"

"He's your bodyguard?" someone shouted. Bob laughed before taking a step towards the group of students.

"Professor Peach can handle herself. I'm here to make sure you First Years don't get yerselves gobbled up by an Ursa or Beowolf. The Forest of Forever Fall is a dangerous place, and we've lost students in here before. So watch yerselves and keep close to your teammates."

"But don't forget to have fun class! The sap we are collecting is well known for its delicious flavor so don't be afraid to sample some of it. The trees we will be collecting from are a little farther ahead. You can only collect from the trees that are not flowering yet. I want you all back before the sun sets and you are all required to collect one jar's worth of sap." Peach said. She smiled and motioned for the student to start looking for the trees.

Blake let Ruby take the lead before following after her, Yang and Weiss trailing behind her.

* * *

Yang held onto the group of jars her team was going to use. Ruby trailed ahead, pushing aside the taller grass as they pushed deeper into the forest. Ruby pushed aside a large shrub and they entered into a small clearing lined with trees.

Yang set the jars down in the middle of clearing and picked one up. Ruby picked hers up and went over to the closest tree, slashing into the tree with Crescent Rose. Sap began to pour out like a waterfall and Yang went over and started to fill her jar up. She saw Weiss wander out of the clearing, jar in hand, and Blake watch her, before going after her.

* * *

Blake followed after Weiss, not making a sound as Weiss looked at the trees. Finding one without any flowers she stabbed her sword into it and held up her jar as the sap began to pour out. Blake walked up behind her; she was going to get some answers out of her.

"Weiss," she said. Weiss gasped and nearly dropped the jar. She looked over her shoulder at Blake, her eyes narrowing.

"Warn me next time, I nearly dropped this, and I do not want any more of my clothes ruined." Blake kept a neutral expression as she moved from behind Weiss and leaned against the tree.

"On the first night we spent in the dorm, who were you talking to in the bathroom?" Weiss glared at her as she thought of a response.

"I don't remember talking to anyone," she said.

"Really? Because you said you were taking a phone call at the time," Blake said. Weiss looked down at the jar, it was almost full.

"Then I was on the phone. Why are you asking me this?"

"Because I didn't hear your scroll ring. Or the other person's voice." Blake said. She saw Weiss bite her lip and her eyes dart away from the jar, looking in the opposite direction of her.

"I had the water running, you wouldn't be able to hear that," she managed to say.

"I have very good hearing," Blake said. She pulled out her scroll and pushed Weiss' contact picture. A second passed before Weiss' scroll started to ring, loudly. It was a calming song with a gorgeous voice and synthetic instruments. "And you keep your volume up."

"Why are you asking me this? Can't you just drop it?" Weiss said, anger seeping into her voice.

"No, I can't. Who were you talking to?" Weiss looked away again.

"Myself." She whispered, so low that Blake had a hard time hearing her.

"Could you say that again?"

"Myself! Okay, Blake?" Weiss said. She let out a hiss of annoyance as the jar started to overflow, sticky sap getting all over her hand. She put the jar on the ground and wiped her hand on the grass. Instead of cleaning her hand it only coated it with red grass. She groaned with annoyance before rounding on Blake, glaring up at her.

"I sometimes talk to myself when I'm in front of the mirror. Is that so strange?" she asked. Blake stared into her icy eyes; she looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"Does your reflection talk back?" Weiss broke the stare, her eyes looking at Blake's forehead.

"Of course not." That was all Blake needed to know.

"Why did you refuse Violet an autograph?" she asked. Weiss turned around, her back to her, and crossed her arms.

"I don't give out autographs." She said.

"Unless it's for a human," Blake said. Weiss uncrossed her arms, one hand going up in the air as she motioned with it.

"No, I don't give out autographs, period." She looked over her shoulder at Blake.

"But why would you care if I refuse some degenerate Faunus? She would probably just sell it anyway," she said. Blake narrowed her eyes.

"Because she's a person just like you and me and you should treat her like one." Blake grabbed Weiss' shoulder and spun her around, towering over the smaller girl. Weiss wasn't intimidated and glared up at her.

"The Faunus are not like us. And you should have heard what I heard her saying when we first got here. About how she wished her and that dog of hers could get on a team with me, just so I could buy them stuff. As if I would ever be on a team with a Faunus." Blake could feel a plethora of insults at the edge of her tongue but she kept her mouth shut and shoved past Weiss. Now wasn't the time to try and convince a Schnee that she was wrong.

"What, are we done?" Weiss asked. Blake looked back at her.

"Yes, we ar-" The sound of a gunshot reverberated throughout the forest; it sounded close, and like it came from a shotgun. Blake's eyes widened and she saw Weiss look past her and back at where they had left Yang and Ruby.

* * *

Ruby leapt out of the way of the Ursa's claws, pulling out Crescent Rose as she landed. The scythe unfolded and sprang into place as the Ursa stood up on its hind paws and roared at her. Yang was behind the Ursa, her gauntleted fists up in front of her face. Yang fired a shotgun blast at the Ursa's back, blowing apart parts of its bone armor. The Ursa fell onto all fours and spun around, swiping at Yang with its giant clawed paws.

Yang caught the blow and held onto the Ursa's paw, her teeth clenched as her arms shook from the strain. The Ursa raised its other paw and swung it Yang. She caught it, struggling to keep both paws at bay. She started to fall to her knees and the Ursa growled, saliva dripping from its maw.

Ruby leapt onto the Ursa's back and swung Crescent Rose, placing the blade against the Ursa's throat. She yelled and yanked up. A gurgled roar escaped from the Ursa's maw as its throat was cut, blood oozing out and falling onto Yang, before Ruby pulled the trigger. The momentum launched Ruby backwards and caused the Ursa's head to go flying. Ruby looked up from where she fell to see the Ursa's corpse slump over and Yang fall to her butt. She was breathing hard and she looked angry about the blood stains on her jacket.

"You okay, Ruby?" Yang asked. Ruby gave a thumbs up as Blake and Weiss came running into clearing, weapons drawn.

"You guys okay?" Blake asked, looking at the dead Ursa. Black smoke began to come off the Ursa's corpse and a pool of blood surrounded it. Yang nodded her head.

"We'd better get extra credit for this," Yang said. Ruby smiled and started laughing; she was pretty sure killing Grimm was to be expected at Beacon. Weiss and Blake sheathed their weapons as Ruby and Yang got up.

"You guys get your sap?" Ruby asked. Before the Ursa attacked she and Yang had filled their jars. Weiss looked back at the tree line as Blake looked at the lone empty jar that had been left in the case.

"I forgot mine. I'll be back, and try not to get into any more fights," Weiss said as she walked out of the clearing. Blake said nothing before grabbing the empty jar and cutting into a tree, the sap bleeding out and filling the jar.

Ruby and Yang picked up their jars, and once Weiss was back, made their way back to Professor Peach and Bob.

She flopped down onto her bed, letting her arms dangle over the sides. She had really been hoping to get extra credit for that Ursa but it turned out NOT getting slaughtered by a demon bear was just expected. She would need to step up her training regiment, she couldn't be struggling to fight one Ursa.

* * *

She rested her arms behind her head and looked over at Ruby and Weiss. They were sitting on Weiss' bed, their textbooks and notes splayed out across the bed. Ruby's headphones were wrapped around her neck, that emo metal whatever she listened to playing softly. Weiss' notes and books were all neat and organized while Ruby's were just put wherever. An open packet of cookies sat in front of Ruby. Ruby chewed at the end of her pencil as she read a crumpled up piece of paper, her head bobbing gently.

"Hey Weiss, you get notes for Sorrell's class?" Weiss didn't answer, her nose buried in her psychology textbook. Ruby cocked her head to the side. "Weiss, you hear me?" She looked up from her book.

"Huh? Oh, yes. They're right there." She motioned to a blue folder with 'First Aid' written on it. Ruby grabbed it and opened it before pulling out the papers from within and starting to read them. Weiss looked back to her textbook before shaking her head and closing it. She stood up and went to the door. Ruby looked back at her.

"Weiss, where are you going?" Weiss opened the door.

"I forgot some stuff in one of my classes. I'll be back in a little bit. And don't get any crumbs on my bed!" Weiss said before she left.

Ruby shrugged before turning back to her notes and slipping her headphones on, increasing the volume.

Blake's head popped down from her bunk, her expression serious.

"Yang, I need to tell you something." Yang cocked an eyebrow.

"Sure," Yang said. Blake's head disappeared before Blake jumped down from her bunk, landing without a sound. She sat on the edge of Yang's bed.

"I wanted to say sorry for threatening and hitting you back during initiation. I was in a really bad place at the time, and I was just taking that out on you. That wasn't right of me." Yang sat up and offered Blake a smile.

"Ah its fine. We were all kinda stressed out then; you know, kinda focused on not getting killed." Blake smiled and she seemed to relax.

"Thank you Yang. And for the record, I'm glad we ended up as partners. You're much better than my last partner." Yang snorted.

"Of course I am. I'm the best." Blake giggled lightly, placing her hand over her mouth.

* * *

Weiss walked through the nearly empty hallways of the medical wing of Beacon Academy, her heels clicking as she walked. The sun was setting and its orange light filtered through the windows. A few students walked past, dressed in scrubs, laughing about some joke or another.

She walked past Doctor Sorrell's class, past her office and came to the destination she had in mind; Doctor Duerf's office. He was the school's therapist and psychology professor.

She stood before the door, her hand hovering over the handle. She could hear the doctor moving around in the room, papers rustling. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves…and brought her hand back to her side. She shook her head and backed away from the door. She turned around and walked back to her dorm room.


	10. Summer

**And here's the next chapter! Very short and something not based on an episode. Hope you like it though!**

 **Chapter 9: Summer**

Ruby slipped her headphones on and pressed play as the ship took off. The interior of the ship blocked out the rising sun, which Ruby was thankful for, she hated the morning. She yawned as she changed the song to something a bit harder, something to wake her up as she thought about the night before.

Weiss stood between the bunks, a proud smile on her face.

"You did what?" Blake asked from her bunk.

"I got us reservations at one of the most luxiourous restaurants in all of Vale. Since we have the day off tomorrow I figured I would treat you three." Blake cocked an eyebrow as Yang leapt off her bunk and pulled Weiss into a hug, squeezing her tight and lifting her off the ground.

"Ah Weiss that's so sweet of you! I've never been to a fancy restaurant before! This is gonna be awesome!" Weiss' body was rigid as Yang hugged her. Ruby giggled at her annoyed expression.

"Put me down before I freeze you." She said, her voice monotone. Yang let go and Weiss fell to the floor, yelling in surprise. She glowered up at Yang who was smiling smugly.

"You said to put you down," she said. Blake cleared her throat and Yang and Weiss looked over at her.

"Could you tell me what restaurant we are going to?" Weiss shook her head.

"That's a surprise until tomorrow," she said. Blake narrowed her eyes.

"You do know I only eat certain foods right?" Weiss nodded.

"I know you don't eat meat Blake; I pay attention to what you all eat," she said. She turned to Ruby and pointed a finger at her. "Speaking of, you should start laying off the sweets." Ruby chuckled and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"Oh wait, what time is it tomorrow?" Ruby asked.

"Six o'clock, why?" Weiss said. Ruby sighed in relief.

"I already have plans for tomorrow morning." Weiss crossed her arms.

"What is it? Training with Pyrrha? I'm sure she wouldn't mind putting it off." Ruby shook her head.

"I'm going to go visit my mom and dad in the morning," she said. Yang looked at her as Weiss huffed.

"Well just don't take too long. I don't want to be late," she said. Ruby smiled.

"I won't be."

Ruby yawned again, covering her mouth with her hand, as she bobbed her head to the music. She fidgeted around; the metal seats were super uncomfortable and made her butt sore.

She pulled up her contacts and tapped her father's picture. She started to text him as the ship shook slightly.

"Hey dad! Im on my way. U awake?" She sat her scroll on her lap as she waited for him to respond. She felt her scroll vibrate and she picked it back up.

"Sure am sweetie. I have a surprise waiting for you when you get here."

"O cool. Wat is it?"

"A surprise" Ruby rolled her eyes and pocketed her scroll.

She closed her eyes and leaned back, resting her head against the headrest. Listening to some gothic metal was the perfect way to kill the time. She would have brought a book but all the ones that Blake had were stupid romance stories. Or porn. Blake had a lot of smut shoddily hidden behind the bookshelf. Maybe she could grab some of her books and bring them back with her to the dorm.

The ride didn't last for very long and was rather uneventful. She exited the airship and walked down the gangway, her hands in her pockets. There hadn't been many people on the airship with her and she didn't see very many people on the streets either. The rising sun glistened over the glass windows of the buildings, turning them yellow. Ruby walked down the streets, stepping around the few people on the sidewalks as she made her way to the docks.

She was met with the overwhelmingly pungent stench of fish as she neared the harbor and she scrunched her nose in disgust. She could see fisherman loading up their boats and merchants shouting and holding up various fishes in an attempt to sell them. She saw a stray dog run up to a stand and grab a fish while the vendor wasn't looking. She laughed at that as she passed a man selling oysters.

She arrived at the ferry, paid the ludicrous fee of five lien, and got onto the boat. It was rather small and white in color. A blue canopy covered the top of the boat and barnacles crusted the sides. A large harpoon was situated at the front of the boat; there weren't many aquatic Grimm in these waters but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Ruby took her seat, as far away from the railings as possible, and crossed her legs. It felt like an eternity before the ferry had enough people for the captain to bother making the trip. The boat jolted as the engine started and they made their way to Patch. Most of the people on the ferry stood at the railing, pointing at fish and other creatures as they passed them.

Much like the trip on the airship, the ferry ride was rather short and in no time at all Ruby was walking down the gangway and onto the docks of her home, Patch. She smiled at the familiar sight; the small houses dotting the beach, stained with salt and weathered by the sea winds. Laundry lines were hung up along several houses and she saw a group of boys heading to a small boat with nets in hand. It was midmorning as Ruby walked through the village, smiling and waving at familiar families; the Scarlets, the Hunters, the Tanners, and others.

She made her way through the forests on Patch, following the trail that led home. The trees were flowering and a sweet scent was in the air as Ruby's house came into view; a small wooden house with a brick chimney and shingles that needed replacing.

She paused the music, took her headphones off and hung them around her neck as she walked up to the door. She grabbed the door knob and opened the door.

"Surprise!" Three different voices shouted as the door swung open. Ruby smiled; her dad had gotten her friend from Sanctum to visit. There was Amethyst, a brown skinned boy with short black hair that stuck up no matter how much he tried to comb it. Sakura, a pale skinned cat Faunus with long pink hair and blue eyes. And Tawny, a dark skinned boy with a shaved head and black eyes.

"What are you guys doing here?" Ruby asked as she closed the door behind her.

"Your dad called us," Tawny said.

"Said he wanted to surprise you when you came over today," Amethyst said. Sakura grabbed Ruby and pulled her into a hug.

"And how could we say no to seeing our best friend!" Amethyst and Tawny joined Sakura in hugging Ruby. Ruby hugged them back, she had kept in contact via texting but it was much better getting to see them in person. She heard a barking and she looked down to see a black, grey, and white corgi sitting on its haunches and looking up at her, his tongue hanging from his mouth.

"Zwei!" Ruby broke the hug and picked up Zwei, who barked happily, and pressed him against her chest. She hugged him as he licked her face. She saw her father walk into the living room, a stained apron on. He smiled at her before clearing his throat.

"I made breakfast for ya Ruby? You like the surprise?" Ruby set Zwei down and smiled at her father.

"How could I not? I've missed all of you so much," she said.

She walked into the kitchen ad was greeted with the smells of breakfast. Warm pancakes; chocolate, blueberry, raspberry, and plain, bacon, sausage, coffee, juice, eggs; scrambled and Sunnyside up, and toast. The small circular dinner table was packed to bursting with the generous amount of food and simple wooden chairs were sat around the entirety of the table.

Ruby took her seat and her friends sat next to her, her father across from her. She loaded her plate with two chocolate chip pancakes, some bacon, Sunnyside up eggs and made herself some coffee and a glass of orange juice.

"So tell us about Beacon!" Sakura said. Her friends began to dig into their breakfast and looked at her. She started to cut her pancakes up as she said

"It's pretty awesome! The food is better than the food at Signal." Amethyst laughed at that. He pointed his fork at her.

"I've had cat food better than the food at Signal!" Ruby laughed.

"But the classes are pretty tough, we do a lot of writing and reading. But we get to do a lot of fighting in Goodwitch's class! And Bob teaches us really neat stuff when he takes us out into the woods. I know how to start a fire with a pair of sticks now."

"No way, that's awesome." Tawny said. Ruby nodded her head. She took a bite of the pancakes; they melted into her mouth and tasted like chocolate heaven.

"What was initiation like?" Sakura asked. Ruby saw her father look at her; he said nothing but his eyebrows were raised in concern. Ruby looked down at her plate and picked at her food.

"It was uh..." she looked up. She gave a smile "Not too bad, eheh. I killed a bunch of Grimm during the test."

"Really? You got to fight the Grimm! You're so cool Ruby!" Amethyst said. Ruby picked at her food; the bloody mist, the wolf's head exploding in her scope, the tight, dark, slimy throat of the Nevermore. She pushed her plate away and started to drink her orange juice. She saw her father looking at her, concern on his face as he slowly chewed his eggs. She lowered the glass from her lips.

"I don't feel like talking about Beacon anymore. How are you guys doing?" Ruby asked.

"We've been doing great!" Sakura purred. "We've gotten a lot more popular since you left, due to you getting on the news and getting accepted into Beacon." Ruby tilted her head to the side.

"People cared that I got on the news?"

"Of course man! You were all anyone talked about for months!"

"Oh," Ruby said. Her father cleared his throat. They all looked at him.

"Why don't we focus on our food for a bit, I would hate for it all to get cold and go to waste." Ruby's friends nodded their agreement and began to tear into their meals. Taiyang gave Ruby a slight smile. Ruby smiled back and drank from her coffee mug.

They ate in silence, Ruby's plate going relatively uneaten as her friends and father cleaned their plates. With their food eaten her friends stood up from the table, dumping their plates into the sink.

"It was great seeing you again, Ruby!" Sakura said, giving Ruby a hug. Amethyst held out a fist, which Ruby bumped with her own.

"Let's do this again soon!" He said.

"Let us know when you're available again!" Tawny said. Ruby smiled and nodded.

"I will. See you guys soon!" Her friends smiled and thanked her dad for the food and took their leave.

Ruby sighed and her dad took her plate off the table and brought it to the sink. He began to clean the plates, cups, and utensils, his back to her.

"You doing okay, honey?" Ruby looked at the grain in the wood on the table. She shook her head no and said

"Yeah dad." She stood up and pushed her chair in. She walked over to the door and opened it. "I'm going to visit Mom and then head back to Beacon. Love you, Dad." She said.

"Love you too, Ruby!" her father shouted as he scrubbed at a stubborn syrup stain.

Ruby left her house and made her way through the forests, the thick tree's and green leaves blocking out the midday sun. She knew the path to take by heart and in no time at all she was at the cliff where her grave sat.

She sat down in front of her mother's grave, her legs crossed.

"Hey mom," she said. She scratched the back of her head. "So a lot has happened since the last time I came by. I got accepted into Beacon, two years early. Oh and I stopped a robbery while I was in town a few months ago."

"The initiation test was pretty scary, I still have nightmares about it sometimes. I managed to kill a Nevermore though, so there's that. Oh! I'm the team leader of Team RWBY, and no I didn't choose the name." She laughed. The wind blew and her cape fluttered around her and the grass swayed against the grave.

"Yang is on my team, and there's Weiss. She's a bit cold but she's starting to warm up to us. And there's Blake, she's like a cool ninja who likes to read. And there's Team JNPR, their really cool. And Yang's friends are all on their own team as well." She felt tears start to run down her face as she smiled at the grave.

"I'm still wearing the cloak you gave me when I was little. I don't think there's been a day where I haven't worn it. It's like there's always a part of you with me when I have it on. I really miss you mom. Oh, did you like that rose I gave you for your birthday? I wasn't sure what kind of rose you liked so I thought I would give you the kind I like. They're hard to find, they only grow in Vacuo, and I had to save up for it."

"Did you have a hard time with the initiation test?" The wind blew past Ruby; she wasn't expecting an answer but it felt rude not to ask her mom questions during their conversations. "I don't think you would, you're too awesome to have trouble with some stupid Grimm."

"I'm thinking of entering my team in the Vytal Tournament when it rolls around. Uncle Qrow and Dad never talked about it but I think you guy would have done awesome in that, you would have won it, hands down." She smiled again at the grave.

"You would have been all, bam, pow wooh." She made fighting motions with her hands. "And you would have won." She laughed.

Ruby sat her mother's grave and stared at it as the wind blew past and the tears rolled down her cheeks. She stayed that way for a while. She felt her scroll start to vibrate and she pulled it out to see Weiss was calling her.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Where are you?" Weiss said, her tone angry and a hint of annoyance present.

"I'm with my Mom," Ruby said.

"Well can you hurry up and come back? It's getting late and I don't want us to be late for our reservation." Ruby wiped at her tears and sniffed before responding.

"Yeah. I'll head back. See you soon." She hung up and hugged her mother's grave.

"I love you Mom," she said. She stood up, and entered the forest, making her way back to Beacon.

 **And that's it! Let me know what you think. The next three chapters are going to be much longer than the last two.**


	11. The Stray

**And here's the next chapter! I hope you like it.**

 **Chapter 10: The Stray**

Weiss pocketed her scroll and turned to Blake and Yang, who were sitting on their bunks.

"She said she will be heading back, I really hope she doesn't make us late, that restaurant was hard to book a reservation for. But why did she have to leave to talk to her mother; wouldn't a phone call suffice?" Weiss huffed, crossing her arms. Yang looked down at the floor.

"She was with her mom?"

"That's what she said." Yang sighed and looked up at Weiss.

"Ruby's mom died when we were really little. Our dad put up a grave marker near our house and Ruby visits it sometimes." Weiss said nothing, feeling reprehensible for the attitude she had given Ruby, and Blake poked her head down from her bunk.

" _Her_ mother?" Blake asked. Yang nodded.

"Ruby and I have different moms but we have the same dad. Ruby's mom raised both of us until she died and my dad never found anyone else after that."

"Does Ruby know about this?" Weiss asked. Yang shook her head.

"I don't think so; I've never told her. Dad might have or she might have figured it out on her own though." Yang stood up, stretching her arms. "So where are we going anyway? The suspense is killing me." Weiss grinned.

"We will be going to Shizen; it's one of the best Mistral restaurants on Remnant."

"And you're sure they offer pescetarian dishes?" Blake asked. Weiss nodded her head.

"Positive," she said. "Our reservation is at six," she checked her scroll "Its two right now, so let's get ready."

Blake leapt down from her bed and went to the closet. She came out a moment later with a simple black dress that faded to purple at the bottom, and had long purple sleeves. Weiss noticed that a few parts of the dress were stitched up. Blake went to the bathroom as Yang made her way to the closet. She returned a moment later with a golden low cut ankle length dress and stood next to the bathroom door as Blake got ready.

Weiss went to the closet and eyed her many dresses, unsure of which to wear. Her eyes wondered to a long black dress with white snowflakes patterning the bottom. Black wasn't usually her color but she could try mixing things up tonight.

She opened up the closet door and went over to the bathroom door and stood, waiting. Blake was sitting on the floor in between the beds, pulling on her boots. Weiss cocked an eyebrow at the sight.

"Are you not going to wear heels?" she asked. Blake shook her head.

"Don't own any," she said. Weiss' mouth opened slightly in disbelief.

"Seriously?" she asked. Blake nodded as she buttoned the right boot.

"Yep. When you live outside the kingdoms you don't have much need for formal wear. It's an accident just waiting to happen." Weiss saw that Blake had very little make up on; her signature purple eyeshadow and some blush but that was about it.

"I'm guessing make up isn't that important either?"

"Nope," Blake finished buttoning her boots and stood up.

Yang exited the bathroom, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. She had on eyeshadow, light red lipstick, and blush. Her heels were the same color as her dress.

"How do I look?" Yang posed, winking and pursing her lips.

"Like a million lien, now move," Weiss said as she made her way into the bathroom.

She quickly changed into the dress and pulled her make up bag from behind the mirror. She unzipped the bag and pulled out her eyeshadow, eyeliner, lipstick, and blush. Her reflection was there, she was in the same black outfit she was wearing; admiring the ends of the sleeves.

"Very nice choice Weiss, I must say we should wear outfits like this more often." She said. Weiss ignored her and started to apply the blush. Blake and Yang were outside. Her reflection cocked her eyebrow in annoyance. "Silent treatment? Okay, fine, I can tell you don't want to talk." Weiss sighed in relief as her reflection returned to normal. She applied her makeup, and stepped out of the bathroom. Yang was sitting on her bed, listening to music as Blake sat on Weiss' bed, reading a book with a ripped spine. Weiss sat on the bed and put on her heels before taking out her scroll and beginning to read as well. She saw that it was already three, Ruby should be back at any moment.

As if on cue Ruby burst through the door, out of breath and sweat dripping down her face.

"Sorry, sorry!" she wheezed as she went to the closet. She came out a moment later carrying a long black and red Gothic dress. "Sorry, sorry!" She said as she went to the bathroom. A few minutes later she came out wearing the dress, black eye shadow, and a necklace with a silver rose. Ruby exhaled and stepped forward

"Alright Team, let's-" she tripped over her dress, squealed, and fell to the floor.

Weiss sighed and stood up as Yang started to laugh.

"Get up, Ruby, you're going to make us late." She said as she walked over to the door. Ruby groaned in response.

* * *

Blake trailed behind Weiss and Ruby as they led the way down the streets of the docks of Vale. Blake loved the smell of freshly caught fish and the sight of so many different fish made her mouth water and her belly rumble. The sight of so many boats reminded her of her family, and the thought made her smile. She saw that Ruby was having a hard time walking in heels, tripping and nearly falling multiple times. She chuckled as Ruby grumbled about her 'stupid lady stilts'.

Her ears twitched underneath her bow; she could hear someone crying out in pain a little ways ahead of them. They rounded a corner and Blake's heart dropped. Glass covered the sidewalk, the remnants of the shattered window of a Dust shop. The police were there, one of them holding off an angry group of citizens while the other dug their knee into the back of a mouse Faunus who was on the ground, struggling in vain as the officer tried to cuff them.

"Get off of me! I didn't do anything!" the Faunus shouted.

"Save it for your lawyer," the Officer said, managing to get the cuffs on him. The officer got off him and jerked him to his feet. An older woman, also a mouse Faunus, ran past the officer stemming the crowd and ran over to the officer walking away with the Faunus.

"Please, my son wouldn't rob a store. He hasn't done anyt-" The officer backhanded her and she fell to the ground, letting out a cry. Blake gnashed her teeth, her blood boiling, and shoved past Ruby and Weiss, who had frozen at the sight. Police brutality was something she knew well. She stormed up to the officer carrying the Faunus, who was busy struggling and calling out to his mother. She stopped in front of the officer, crossing her arms.

"Move out of the way," the officer said.

"No," Blake said. The officer got in her face, his nose pressing against hers.

"Who the fuck do you think you're talking to? Move out of the way before I arrest you too."

"Do you really think you can arrest a Huntress?" The officer backed off; she was hoping that the glare she was giving him sold him on the bluff.

"You're a Huntress?" Blake nodded.

"Ah shit." Blake looked at the mouse Faunus in custody; he refused to meet her eye.

"Why did this officer arrest you?" The Faunus looked up.

"I have no idea. I was just walking down the street, passing by that Dust shop when the police who were there tackled me to the ground and started to cuff me." Blake scrunched her eyebrows and looked at the officer.

"Why?"

"You know how uppity these Faunus get around this time of year," Blake narrowed her eyes at that comment. "We got a call from the shop owner about a group of Faunus in masks robbing his store at gunpoint. We get here and what do we find, some Faunus delinquent skulking around the scene of the crime."

"Let him go." Blake said.

"Can't do that ma'am. You Hunters may be above the law but these punks aren't. And besides, he's our only suspect, we can't let him loose." Blake looked at the Faunus; there wasn't anything she could do to get him out of this mess. She caught his eye and she hoped that he was able to see how sorry she was for not being able to get him off the hook. She closed her eyes and stepped out of the officer's way.

"Fine," she said. The officer trudged past her, dragging the innocent Faunus away with him. His partner trailed after him and the Faunus' mother sat on the ground, crying. The crowd started to disperse, some shaking their heads as they left. Blake crouched down next to the grieving mother. "I'm sorry," she said. The mother said nothing but hugged Blake and cried into her shoulder, her tears disappearing into the black fabric.

Blake heard Weiss clear her throat and she looked up to see her teammates standing in front of her, Weiss tapping on her wrist and looking annoyed. She glared at Weiss before untangling herself from the hug. She helped the mother up and gave her a hug before leaving her and rejoining her friends.

Blake looked back to see the mother start to leave, she could hear her crying.

"What was all that about?" Weiss asked.

"What? Helping an innocent person?"

"No, trying to prevent that officer from doing his job and arresting that Faunus scum." She saw Yang and Ruby's eyes go wide in shock, and Yang's lips part in surprise at the comment. Blake stopped.

"You seriously think that Faunus was responsible for that robbery?"

"I wouldn't doubt it," she said. Blake opened her mouth to respond when a shout from nearby interrupted her.

"Police! Someone stop them!" She heard a male voice yell. She looked down the road to see a blonde monkey Faunus with an unbuttoned shirt sprinting down the sidewalk, sidestepping people and munching on a banana. A man with electric blue hair and a red jacket was not far behind the Faunus. A pair of angry looking men were chasing after them.

"Catch us if you can!" The blue haired man shouted with a grin. The monkey Faunus threw the peel behind him with a laugh.

"You goddamn stowaways!" One of the men shouted. They barreled past Blake and her teammates and the two stowaways took a turn and started to run down a narrow alley, with the two men following suit.

Neither Blake, nor any of her teammates, knew what to say in response to what they had just seen. Yang cleared her throat.

"So, uh, yeah. How 'bout that reservation?" Weiss started to walk down the sidewalk, leading them to the restaurant. Blake glared at the back of her head; that Schnee bitch was pushing the limits of her patience.

They continued their way through the town, Yang and Ruby trying to provide some conversation to try and ease the tension. Blake continued to glare at Weiss' head as Yang talked to Weiss and Ruby prattled in her ear.

"So I've been thinking of trying out a new series; which ones would you sugge-" Ruby shrieked as she ran into the person in front of her and they collapsed on the ground.

Ruby had landed on top of the girl, who didn't seemed phased by the fall. She had orange hair, decorated with a pink bow. Her pale skin was covered with freckles. Her outfit, a gray dress and black stockings, was decorated with green stripes going down the sides. Ruby scrambled off the girl.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you, I was talking and I wasn't paying attention and-" The girl said nothing but raised a hand in greeting. She smiled as she said

"Salutations!" Ruby cocked her head to the side.

"H-hello," she said. "Are you okay? I didn't hurt you did I?" The girl shook her head.

"Not at all, thank you for asking. I am doing wonderful." Ruby scratched the back of her head.

"Are you going to get up? That sidewalk can't be comfortable." The girl looked confused for a second before nodding her head.

"Yes, I will," she said. She got up and offered her hand to Ruby. "My name is Penny. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Ruby shook the girl's hand.

"Hi Penny. My name is Ruby." Blake raised her hand in greeting.

"Blake," she said. Something about this girl felt off to Blake, and not in the same way as Weiss.

"I'm Weiss," Weiss said. Yang gave a little wave.

"And I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister." The girl smiled as she looked at each of them.

"A pleasure to meet you all!" She said. Weiss pulled out her scroll.

"Well this has been…interesting but we really must be leaving. We have a dinner reservation to get to." Weiss said, turning and leaving before Penny could respond. Yang followed after her and Blake began to walk away as well. She heard Ruby take a few steps forward before turning around and say

"Take care, friend. Sorry about running into you like that." With that Ruby followed after them.

"Man that girl was weird." She heard Yang say.

"Wait!" Blake turned around to see Penny march up to Ruby. She didn't seem to have any sense of personal space, her face was practically on top of Ruby's. Ruby leant her head back to try and have some room to breathe. "You believe I am your friend?" she asked.

"Uhhh. Sure, why not?" Ruby said with a nervous laugh. Penny grinned and picked Ruby up off the ground, spinning around and laughing before hugging her.

"Oh, happy day! This is absolutely sensational! I have never had a friend before. Oh we can talk about…whatever it is we girls talk about!" Penny let Ruby go and Ruby backed away from her a little, just out of arms reach.

"Yeah, sounds…fun." Ruby forced a smile.

"So, like, what are you doing out here?" Yang asked. Penny smiled at her.

"I am homeless! I came here from Atlas in honor of the Vytal Festival!" Bake looked at the girl in disbelief; she had never seen someone so chipper about having nowhere to live.

"You do know that the Festival isn't until fall right?" Yang asked. Penny nodded.

"I do. But I wanted to explore Vale first." Penny hiccupped.

"You okay?" Ruby asked.

"Yes ma'am! I just get the hiccups from time to time." Penny beamed at them as Weiss started to leave.

"Well this has been fun, Penny, but we really must be going if we don't want to be late." Weiss said. Blake followed after her, and then Yang. Blake heard Ruby pull out her scroll.

"Do you have a scroll, Penny?"

"Yes I do!"

"Cool, so let's trade numbers. If you ever need somewhere to stay just give me a call, okay?"

"Roger!" A moment past before Blake heard Ruby run after them, nearly tripping in her heels.

The rest of the trip to the restaurant went by without event, no false arrests, no stowaways, and no homeless girls. The buildings in the Upper District were some of the nicest she had ever seen in her life, beautifully crafted and not a speck of garbage or grime anywhere in the streets.

The restaurant was a white building with modern architecture. The name of the restaurant, Shizen, was hanging above the door in simple silver lettering. She saw a man drive up in his car and hand the keys to the valet that stood at the sidewalk. The car looked more expensive than any she had seen before in her life.

They walked into the restaurant and Blake was amazed at the sight. The inside of the building was full of light, candles burning on the polished wood tables, lights that dangled from the ceiling in beautiful, yet simple designs. There were bamboo pillars throughout the building and the bar was encased in a glass box. The chairs were white, and much like the lights, simple but gorgeous to look at. The floor was tiled and a beautiful shade of grey. Servers bustled through the building in white shirts and black vests, carrying trays of food. Her mouth watered as the smells of so many different dishes washed over her; seasoned fish, sushi, sashimi, a multitude of vegetables and fruits. The building was packed and she could hear snippets of a multitude of conversations from all around the building.

Weiss walked up to the hostess, who smiled at her.

"Good evening ma'am, do you have a reservation?"

"I do; Schnee, party of four." The hostess checked the reservations list and nodded her head.

"If you will follow me, I will take you to your seats," the hostess said. They followed after the hostess and took their seats at a square table covered in a white tablecloth. Ruby and Yang sat across from each other and Blake sat across from Weiss. The hostess smiled at them as they took their seats. "Your server will be here in just a moment, enjoy." With that she left. Yang looked at the table in confusion.

"So are we not getting menus or what?" Weiss laughed and shook her head.

"They don't use menu's here. The food they serve is changed day to day and from season to season."

"So what if I don't like what they are serving today?"

"Then you're just going to have to deal with it."

"That's stupid. Can I at least get a cocktail here?"

"It isn't stupid, and yes you can."

"Great, a drink sounds amazing right about now." Their server appeared a moment later, he was a comely fellow with dark hair and eyes.

"Good evening ladies, what can I get you to drink?" He had a small notebook in hand and a pencil in the other.

"Strawberry sunrise, hold the ice." Yang said.

"Pinot Noir for me," Weiss said.

"Do you guys have milk?" Ruby asked. The server's mouth opened slightly.

"Uhhh, I believe so. That's not something we usually serve though. But I will get you a glass if we have any."

"Thanks!" Ruby smiled at the server. The server turned towards Blake.

"And how about for you."

"White wine sounds nice," Blake said.

"What kind ma'am? We have Riesling Lion, Chardonnay, Sauv Blanc,-"

"A Riesling sounds nice." The server scribbled down her drink.

"Any dietary needs I should know about?" Weiss, Yang, and Ruby shook their heads.

"I don't eat meat," Blake said. The server nodded and scribbled in his notebook. He closed the notebook and smiled at them.

"Alright, I'll have those drinks out in a moment, and some appetizers." The server left then. Weiss started to talk to Yang and Ruby, explaining the 'use every part of nature' philosophy that the people of Mistral have and how that is incorporated in their food. Blake tuned her out and listened in on the conversations going on around her.

"I still don't understand why those filthy animals get a holiday for waging war against us. And why should my kid get the day off when he doesn't get the day off in remembrance of the Great War?"

"You hear about that bombing in Vacuo? The White Fang are saying that they did it. Can you imagine what that is going to do to the SDC's stocks?"

"I don't know, home schooling seems kind of drastic. I mean, being the only human in her class can't be that bad for her academics can it?"

Blake began to drum her fingers in agitation. She looked over at the entrance to see a fox Faunus standing in front of the hostess, a human woman holding his hand. He looked upset as the hostess kept a straight face.

"I told you, I have a reservation!"

"I'm sorry, sir, I just don't see it."

"What do you mean? I booked this reservation months ago! I want to speak to a manager!" The hostess nodded and left her post. She returned a moment later with a large man with gray hair.

"What appears to be the problem?" The fox Faunus pointed a finger at the hostess, who flinched back.

"Your hostess is refusing me service; I made a reservation here months ago for my anniversary and she's saying that I don't have it." The manager stroked his mustache before responding.

"I hate to inform you that our restaurant reserves the right to refuse service to…to those we think aren't fit for the environment our restaurant is trying to create."

"It's because he's a Faunus isn't it!" The woman demanded.

"I never said that ma'am," the manager said. The woman scoffed.

"You didn't have too. Come on honey, let's leave. We're too good for this overpriced garbage anyway." With that the couple turned and left. Blake glared daggers at the hostess and manager.

"Blake? Yo, Blake!" Blake stopped her drumming and looked over at Yang.

"What?"

"You okay? If you keep doing that you're gonna put a hole in the table." Blake slipped her hand into her lap.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure, Blake? You seem pretty out of it." Weiss said.

"Did I ask for your input?" Blake spat back. Weiss looked taken back before scowling.

"Where is this coming from? I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I said I was fine." Blake said. The server appeared then, carrying a tray full of drinks, plates, and food.

"Alright ladies I brought you some butter bonsai's; it's a small ball of butter encased in crushed olives and spinach dust, very popular with people your age." The server put a plate down in front of each of them, before giving each of them two butter bonsai's. Ruby went 'ooo' as she examined the small ball with what looked like a tree growing out of it. "Milk?" the server asked. Ruby raised her hand. "Strawberry sunrise, no ice?" he said while he put it down in front of Yang. "Pinot Noir," he handed Weiss her drink. "And the Riesling Lion," he set the drink down in front of Blake. She looked at the drink and then at his smiling face.

She grabbed her drink and tossed its contents into the servers face.

"Thank you," Blake said as Yang and Ruby stared at her in shock as Weiss stifled a scream. The server sputtered and wiped at his eyes, backing away from the table. The server backed into the table behind him and knocked it to the floor, spilling the food all over the customers, who screamed in shock and outrage.

Blake grinned slightly at the horrified looks on their faces; they were the bigots complaining about the Faunus Revolution being celebrated. She saw Yang start to stuff the butter bonsai's into her mouth, and start downing her cocktail. Weiss stared in shock at the mess as a different server came up to help theirs. They got him to his feet and he addressed their table.

"I'm going to have to ask you ladies to please leave," he said calmly, though Blake could see the anger boiling behind his eyes. Yang wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before she motioned to the uneaten butter bonsai's.

"Can I get these in a to-go bag first?"

* * *

Yang nibbled at one of the butter bonsai's as she walked down the streets of Vale. It was dark now and the streetlights illuminated their path. Weiss and Blake hadn't said a word to each other since they left the restaurant and they both looked pissed. Weiss was leading the way, and Blake trailed behind. Ruby was walking next to her, looking upset about her two angry teammates. Yang pulled out her scroll and started to text Ruby.

"Hey if shit hits the fan wen we get to the dorm want 2 spend the night wit JNPR?" She saw Ruby pull out her scroll, glance at her, before she responded.

"Is this my fault?" Yang stopped chewing as she looked over at Ruby.

"Of course not. Sometimes people don't get along, that all"

"If u say so."

"We could order a pizza and watch scary movies with JNPR. I bet John screams like a little gurl" Ruby snorted.

Weiss glared back at them as she marched down the street. Yang pocketed her scroll and went back to eating the bonsai's, offering Ruby one.

They got to the airship, the last one heading to Beacon for the night, and rode in silence. They made their way to their dorm and Weiss used her scroll to open up the door. Yang motioned for Ruby to stay in the hallway as Blake entered and she stood in the doorway. Weiss sat down on her bed and started to pull off her heels.

"Oh I must really thank you Blake; I never knew what it was like to get thrown out of a five star restaurant until now." She sneered. Blake crossed her arms.

"You're welcome Weiss, maybe you can find some better company in a different place." Weiss placed her heels on the ground before standing up.

"Better company? What are you talking about?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about, Schnee." Weiss rolled her eyes.

"What? Did you overhear someone say something bad about your precious Faunus you love so much?" Blake glared at her. Yang slipped out of the doorway and slowly shut the door. Once it was closed she motioned for Ruby to go into JNPR's room; she could tell it was going to get ugly in there.

* * *

Blake glared at the small girl in front of her.

"Everyone in that restaurant hated the Faunus. They refused to serve a human Faunus couple!"

"So what? They have a respectable name to uphold." Blake laughed, the sound bitter.

"Respectable? You call being a bigot respectable?"

"No, I call keeping undesirables out of a decent place respectable."

"Undesirables? Are you listening to yourself?"

"The Faunus _are_ undesirable; they are a bunch of riff raff and murderous thugs; just look at the White Fang!"

"They have nothing to do with this! You're just a judgmental little cunt and you are no better than Cardin!" Weiss shoved her index finger in Blake's face.

"How dare you call me that! I have much more class than that brute!" Blake swatted Weiss' hand out of the way.

"How dare _you_ call the Faunus a bunch of murderers!"

"Well they are! How many people have the White Fang killed Blake? How many?"

"I, I don't know. But you can't compare all Faunus to the White Fang! That's just wrong!"

"And why not? They're animals, just like the White Fang."

"We are not animals!" Blake screamed, stomping her foot on the ground. Her breathing was heavy as she realized what she said. She saw Weiss' eyes go wide and her mouth fall open. "Oh no," she thought.

"W-we?" Weiss said, tripping over the word. Blake's eyes darted around the room; she had to get out of here, now. Her eyes settled on the window. She looked back at her desk, Gambol Shroud lay there in its sheath. She lunged for it, grabbed it, and ran over to the bookshelf in the blink of an eye. She leapt through the window, the glass shattering around her as she fell through the air. She heard Weiss scream her name as she fell.

 **And that's it! Let me know what you think!**


	12. Missing

**And here's the next chapter! It's not based on an episode but I hope you enjoy it.**

 **Chapter 11: Missing**

She hit the ground running, gritting her teeth as her aura absorbed the fall. She could hear Weiss' voice grow fainter as she ran.

"Crap, crap, crap, crap." She thought as she ran. Of course she had to out herself to a Schnee; it couldn't have been someone with a heart or any form of sympathy. To make matters worse she was stuck at Beacon till dawn; the airships were docked for the night and there was no other way to get down to the city. She ran towards the school's water gardens; she had spent the night in much worse places.

* * *

"BLAKE!" Weiss stood at the shattered window, her hands gripping the windowsill as she screamed her teammate's name. She must have heard her wrong, it wasn't possible. There was no way she had been on a team with a Faunus for several months and had never noticed. She turned away from the windowsill and left the room, running down the hall.

But it made so much sense; it was the reason why Blake would get so upset whenever she talked about the Faunus. But then why hadn't Blake tried to kill her in her sleep, or kidnap her and hold her for ransom? That's what all the Faunus Weiss had ever met back in Atlas had done to members of her family or her family's company. She shook her head as she left the dorms, her bare feet smacking against the pavement as she ran through the courtyard. She needed to find Blake and get some answers out of her.

"Blake! Where are you?" she yelled. She cupped her hands around her mouth. "Blake!" She spun around, looking for any sign of her teammate. It was too dark to see past the street lamps in the courtyard, and there was no way she would go wandering through the dark gardens without her sword or her shoes.

She sighed and slowly started to make her way back to the dorms; Blake would be back, she had nowhere else to go.

* * *

Ruby sat next to Yang on the floor between Jaune and Ren's beds. JNPR were more than happy to have Ruby and Yang over for a scary movie marathon. When they asked about Weiss and Blake, Yang just said they had some issues to settle on their own. The nearest pizza place wouldn't deliver this late so they had settled on some popcorn.

The movie was still getting started; Ruby loved horror movies, more so the one's that messed with your head than gory jump scare ones. Unfortunately, the movie they were watching was exactly the kind she disliked, but maybe laughing at the cheap effects would help brighten her mood.

She grabbed a piece of popcorn as Yang stuffed handfuls into her mouth. She still felt like it was her fault that Blake and Weiss were angry with one another; she was their team leader, she should have seen it coming and put a stop to it before it got that far.

She nibble at the popcorn and mentally counted down as the predictable jump scare slowly drew near.

The door to the room was thrown open when she reached zero, and she heard a high pitched scream though she wasn't sure if it was due to the door or the jump scare. Weiss stood in the doorway, a mixture of confusion and fear spread on her face.

"Blake's gone," Weiss said. Ruby furrowed her brow as she stood up.

"Gone, what do you mean?"

"She's gone! She left and I can't find her!" Yang stood up, the popcorn bowl falling over, causing Nora to groan in annoyance.

"What the fuck did you do Weiss?"

"Nothing! I mean," she looked at JNPR, who were all sticking their heads down from their bunks to stare at her. "I would prefer to tell you in our room."

Weiss left the doorway and Ruby followed after her.

* * *

Weiss opened the door to their dorm, allowing Ruby and Yang in. She heard Ruby suck in a breath at the sight of the broken window. Yang rounded on her, her eyes red.

"Start talking, now." Weiss closed the door, leaning her back against it.

"It wasn't my fault, she jumped out the window while we were arguing." Yang took a step towards her, the tips of her hair beginning to burn.

"What did you say to her?" Weiss looked up at the ceiling, keeping her eyes away from Yang.

"Nothing, it was something she said." Yang crossed her arms. Weiss looked over at Ruby, who was still looking at the window. Weiss sighed. "She isn't who you think she is," Yang narrowed her eyes at Weiss as she took another step towards her.

"Really? Because I think she is my teammate, and right now I'm wondering what this rude bitch in front of me could have done to her."

"She's a Faunus!" Weiss said. Yang looked confused.

"What?"

"We… we were arguing and I called the Faunus animals and she screamed 'We are not animals' and then she jumped out the window. I didn't do anything to her.'" Yang stood still for a moment before she slapped Weiss across the face, the impact causing her to fall to the ground. Weiss rubbed the spot she was slapped; it stung and burned to the touch.

"What was that for?" she demanded.

"For acting like a bigoted little twat today. If she is a Faunus then it's no wonder why she would jump out the window." Weiss stood up, glowering at the much taller girl.

"So this is my fault?" Yang slapped her again. Weiss let out a cry of pain before gritting her teeth and pointing a finger at Yang. "Stop hitting me!"

"I will when you stop acting stupid. Of course it's your fault! You say such horrible things about the Faunus all the time, do you really think she would want to be in the same room as you if you found out she was one of them?" Weiss crossed her arms and looked away from her.

"I wouldn't treat her any different, Blake is different, she's…"

"She's what? 'Civilized'? 'A person and not an animal'?" Weiss tried to push Yang away; Yang didn't move at all as Weiss struggled against her. "You have two seconds to stop that before I throw you across this room."

"That's enough!" Ruby yelled. Weiss looked around Yang at her leader. She was scowling at both of them. "Yang, leave Weiss alone! Yes, she's a jerk and yes it's her fault but beating her up isn't going to solve anything!" Yang backed away from Weiss. "Weiss, when Blake gets back you are going to apologize to her!"

"For what? She should apologize to me for ruining our evening."

"You made her feel so bad she had to jump out a window just to get away from you. You are going to apologize to her." Weiss flicked a strand of hair away from her face.

"Fine," she said.

"Blake should be back in the morning. We're all really upset right now so let's just get some sleep and talk this all out tomorrow." Ruby said. Yang gave Weiss one final dirty look before climbing into her bed.

* * *

Blake was woken up by the rising sun and the sound of birds chirping. She jumped down from the tree branch she had spent the night in and stretched, getting several satisfying cracks and pops in response. Bee's buzzed past her as she walked out of the garden. It was still relatively early and there wasn't very many students out and about. Blake looked over at the dorms; Weiss would probably be awake already. She shook her head and made her way to the docks.

All of the airships were there, one of them had its door down. Blake looked behind her, sighed, and went over to the airship, and walked up its gangway. She took her seat and leaned her head against the metal wall. She closed her eyes and sighed.

She had kept it hidden for so long, close to a year and she had to go and mess up and out herself to a Schnee. Her ears twitched underneath her bow as she heard people start to get into the airship with her. A few minutes later she heard the door close and felt the airship take off.

Idle chatter filled the space as the ship flew to Vale. Blake kept her eyes closed and tuned them out. After a few minutes the airship landed and Blake opened her eyes. The few people in the ship with her left and she followed after them.

She left the airship depot and walked down the sidewalk. It was a tad warm and incredibly bright with the sun's ray's bouncing off the window's in the cities buildings. Cars honked as cars sat still in bumper to bumper traffic. She held onto her arms as she walked, giving the Faunus beggars on the side of the street a sympathetic look, upset that she forgot to grab her wallet.

She wandered through the streets of Vale aimlessly, stepping around people as they made their way to work. She couldn't go back home; not after what she said to her parents. She just knew that there was no way they would ever take her back in. And it would cost too much to pay for a boat ticket to get all the way to Menagarie. She could stow away. She shook her head at the thought; by now everyone back home knew what she had done, she couldn't face them.

And by now Weiss had already blabbed to Ruby, and Yang, and gods knows how many other people, and made all sorts of accusations about her. It would only be a matter of time before it got around the school, and the staff would expel her. She sighed, and rubbed her arm. Where could she go? She only had her sword and clothes, no money or anything of value. And she certainly couldn't work in a human store; dealing with so many people that think like Cardin and Weiss.

She almost didn't notice the woman when she ran into her.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't…" The woman looked familiar; her dark skin and gray hair, her mouse tail. She smiled at Blake.

"It's no problem dear, what are you doing out here this early?" Blake considered lying to her before hanging her head and sighing.

"I…I may not have a place to stay anymore."

"Why don't you come live with me until you can get back on your feet?" Blake perked up at that.

"Really?" The woman nodded.

"It's the least I can do for the young lady who stood up for my boy." The woman smiled. Blake smiled back.

"Thank you, I'm Blake, by the way."

"Honey," the woman said.

* * *

Ruby drummed her pencil against her notebook, deep in thought.

Her eyes fluttered open and she sat up, yawning and stretching her arms. She looked over. Blake's bed was empty. Ruby sighed and jumped down from her bunk. Yang was still sleeping and Weiss' bed was empty and neatly made. Ruby could hear the shower running. She shook Yang awake, who groggily swatted at her hands.

"Five more minutes," she groaned. Ruby rolled her eyes and went to the closet to get dressed. She left the closet a few minutes later and saw Weiss making her way to the closet in a towel. Yang was sitting up in her bed, giving Weiss a dirty look.

"Morning Weiss," Ruby said. Weiss nodded her greeting as she entered the closet. The door shut behind Ruby and Yang stood up, stepping onto her bed to look up at Blake's bunk. She saw Yang's shoulder's sag and heard her sigh.

"I'm sure we'll see her at the cafeteria." Ruby said. Yang said nothing but went to the closet and waited at the door. Weiss exited and walked past Yang, not even giving her a second glance. Yang entered the closet without a word and exited without a word as well. Ruby eyed both of them as they got their shoes on.

"So, uh, how'd you guys sleep?" she asked.

"Splendidly, thank you for asking." Weiss said. Yang side eyed her.

"Fine, Ruby," she said. She rubbed the back of her head.

"So why don't we head to the cafeteria and meet up with Blake?" Weiss stood up and left the room, grabbing her book-bag first. Yang watched her go, her expression that of disgust.

"Sounds like a good idea, Ruby." Yang mumbled as she stood up and left as well. Ruby looked down at her boots and sighed before following after them.

"Ms. Rose, were you paying attention?" Professor Verde asked. Ruby looked up from her notebook.

"I wasn't, sorry," she said. Verde flicked a stand of green hair out of her face and looked at a different student.

"Would anyone care to fill Ms. Rose in on the chemical properties of elemental Dust?" Ruby tuned the student out as he went on and on about the different chemical reactions required for types of Dust. Ruby honestly didn't care, as long as she could light stuff on fire with a bullet she didn't really didn't need to know the how.

Ruby took her seat at the usual table her team, JNPR, and SDVJ ate at. Weiss had already taken her seat and was silently eating her yogurt. Nora was going on one of her dream tangents. She unwrapped her muffin and started to nibble on it, not really tasting it. Yang sat down next to her and started to tear into her ham and eggs. Ruby looked from Yang to Weiss, and sighed.

Pyrrha looked at the three of them before cocking her head to the side.

"Where's Blake?" she asked. Ruby chewed her lip.

"She isn't feeling well," she said. Pyrrha furrowed her brow.

"Didn't Weiss say she was missing?"

"Woah, what? Blake's missing?" Sterling said.

"Uhh..." Ruby looked from Weiss to Yang.

"We found her, and she wasn't feeling well so she's resting back in the dorm." Weiss said, not looking up from her yogurt.

"What's wrong with her?" Jaune asked.

"She's just really tired. Probably from dealing with certain people's bullshit all the time." Yang said. Weiss scowled and angrily stirred her yogurt.

"Or maybe her nerves are fried from hiding important things from everyone all the time." Yang scoffed and bit into her ham, messily tearing it apart with her teeth. Ren stared at them, an eyebrow cocked.

"Do I need to go take care of her? I know some good recipes for dealing with stress." He offered. Ruby vigorously shook her head.

"No, no, she just needs some rest."

"You sure?" Jet asked.

"Yeah, she'll be back up on her feet before you know it!" Ruby offered them a smile and laughed weakly. Pyrrha didn't look convinced.

"Yes, well, if you need help taking care of her, we're right across the hall encase you need us." Ruby smiled at her, hoping it seemed genuine.

"Ms. Rose." Verde said.

"Huh?" Ruby looked up to see Verde standing in front of her desk.

"I asked you to turn in your homework. Class is over."

"Oh. Sure, my bad." Ruby reached into her bag and pulled out the crumpled paper. Verde cocked an eyebrow at the paper but took it none the less.

"Ms. Rose, where is your teammate?" Ruby fidgeted in her seat.

"Which one?"

"Ms. Belladonna. She usually isn't one to skip class. Is she sick?" Ruby nodded her head. Verde crossed her arms. "She should see Doctor Sorrel if that's the case." Ruby rubbed the back of her head.

"I'll let her know when I see her again." She stood up, slung her bag over her shoulder and left the classroom.

* * *

Blake followed Honey into her house. She lived in one of the poorer parts but far from the worst part of the city. The house was a faded blue color and made out of wood. It had a charm to it that Blake found endearing. The furnishing had the same kind of charm to it and the house smelled pleasant; like a thousand home cooked meals.

"Hey Honey, you back already?" a male voice shouted from what Blake guessed was the dining room. Honey started to head back out.

"I'll be heading back out, I just need to bring someone home."

"Aight, cool!" a different male voice said. Honey left and closed the door behind her. Blake started to walk through the house, heading towards the room where the male voices were coming from.

She was greeted with the smell of bacon and eggs and the sight of the two stowaways from yesterday eating breakfast at the table. The monkey Faunus looked over at her and tipped his cup of coffee in her direction.

"Morning," he said. Blake waved at them in response.

"What are you two doing here?" Blake asked. The one with blue hair leaned back in his chair.

"The lovely Miss Honey is letting us stay here till the cops stop looking for us. Shouldn't take very long."

"Gotta love people who are willing to help out world travelers like us." The one with blue hair grabbed a piece of bacon and started to eat it.

"World travelers?" The monkey Faunus did a mock bow.

"Sun Wukong, traveler of Remnant, at your service." The one with blue hair laughed.

"And Neptune Vasilias, his partner." Blake raised her hand in greeting.

"So what's your name?" Sun asked.

"I'm Blake. Blake Belladonna." Sun took a bite of his eggs before saying.

"So what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you two the same thing," Neptune took a sip from his mug of coffee.

"We spend our days traveling the far corners of the habitable world, enjoying what pleasures Remnant has to offer us."

"And what brought you to Vale?"

"Vytal Festival is coming up in a couple of months. Figured we could spend between now and then exploring what this grand kingdom has to offer." Sun said. Blake smiled.

"And you're going to be doing that by spending your time in an old woman's house." Neptune laughed. "By partners do you mean you two were in a team before?" she asked. Sun grinned and looked over at Neptune.

"Nope, picked his sweet ass up while I was in Mistral and we've been inseparable ever since." Neptune winked and blew him a kiss.

"You know you would have ended up in prison by now if I wasn't around." Sun threw a bit of his eggs at him with a laugh.

"So how 'bout you Blake? What's your story?" Blake rubbed her arm before opening her mouth.

* * *

Ruby stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in her pajamas. Weiss was at her desk studying and Yang lay on her bed, blaring music. Blake hadn't shown up and they quickly realized that Blake had left her scroll in the room. Ruby climbed into her bunk before pulling out her scroll and starting to read.

She had a hard time concentrating and found herself rereading the same passage several times over. She groaned and sat up, her legs dangling off her bunk.

"We're going to go look for her tomorrow." She said.

"Great," Yang said. Weiss looked up from her textbook.

"What about our classes?" she asked.

"What about them?" Yang said.

"I know you don't care about your academics but I would rather not have it on my record that I skipped an entire day of classes." Yang scoffed.

"Yeah, how dare you take a day off to find one of your fucking team mates." Weiss spun around in her seat to glare at Yang.

"Blake's a big girl, she can make it back here when she wants to." Yang sat up.

"And what if she is hurt in some shitty part of Vale?"

"She has Gambol Shroud with her. And she grew up outside the kingdoms, I'm pretty sure some ruffians aren't going to be enough to stop her."

"Whatever Weiss," Yang said. Weiss glared at her.

"Don't 'whatever' me; Blake can handle herself she doesn't need us to go save her."

"That's a convenient way of saying that you don't wanna look for her."

"I want to find her just as much as you do; I just think we should give her some space, she clearly doesn't want to be around us right now."

"Doesn't want to be around you more like," Yang said.

"Didn't she threaten to kill you when you first met?" Yang stood up.

"We got past that you smart mouthed bitch."

"Stop it, both of you." Ruby said. They both looked at her. "We're a team, and we're supposed to look out for each other." She sighed and lay down on her bed. "Let's get some sleep, we have a long day ahead of us."

* * *

Yang weaved in an out of traffic, ignoring the honking horns and rude gesture's people were giving her. She didn't believe Weiss; there had to be more to it than just Blake blurting out that she was a Faunus. Weiss must have said something else or done something else and just wouldn't own up to it. People don't just run away without a good reason.

She took a turn and drove down a near empty rode; this place wasn't busy during the day. She stopped in front of a club, the neon lights turned off and the bouncer missing. She parked her bike and put her helmet on the seat.

She strode up the stairs and pushed open the doors. The club looked different without the flashing neon lights; the puke stains on the floor were much more noticeable. And the crystal pillars looked a lot less impressive without the naked women on top of them. She saw a group of men in black suits cleaning and restocking the bar. The man she was looking for had his back to her.

"I want this place spotless before we open up tonight fella's." Junior said. His employees gave him dismissive responses.

"Junior!" Yang shouted. Junior spun around, a look of terror plastered on his face.

"Oh shit!" Yang strode towards him as he backed away; raising his hands in front of him. "Look I don't know what you want but I'm still paying off the damages you caused last year, so please don't do anything drastic!" He backed into a wall. Yang stood in front of him.

"I'm not going to hurt you Junior," she said. He sighed in relief; his breath smelled like garlic.

"Well that's a relief. So why are you down here sweet cheeks? The bar doesn't open for a couple more hours." Yang pulled out her scroll, Blake's contact picture took up the screen.

"I'm looking for someone; you seen her?" Junior looked at her picture. He cocked an eyebrow.

"People running away from you seems to be a problem in your life huh sweet cheeks?" Yang narrowed her eyes and kneed him in the crotch. He crumpled to the floor, letting out a squeak of pain.

"I thought you said you weren't gonna hurt me!" Yang grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him back to a standing position; his hands resting over his crotch.

"I wasn't but you pissed me off. Have you seen her or not?"

"I haven't seen her. I would've remembered a pretty face like that."

Yang pocketed her scroll and left.

* * *

Ruby walked through the forests on Patch. She figured it was the best place to look for Blake; a small island with lots of places to hide and relatively close to Beacon.

"Blake! Where are you?" Ruby shouted. She cupped her hands around her mouth. "I don't care if you're a Faunus, come out Blake!" The wind blowing through the trees was her only response. She sighed before continuing to wander around the forests aimlessly.

She found herself at the cliff where her mother's grave was. Her cape fluttered around her as the wind blew.

"Hey mom, you haven't seen a Faunus girl around here have you?" she laughed. Silence was her answer. Ruby sighed and sat down at the grave, resting her forehead on her knees.

"One of my teammates, Blake, well it turns out she's a Faunus and she's run away." She looked up at the grave. "Blake and Weiss got in a fight and that's why she ran. And now Weiss and Yang are fighting."

"What am I supposed to do mom? I'm their leader and I don't know how to fix this. I should have been able to see this coming; prevent all this from happening. I should have, I could have," she felt tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"This is all my fault. My team is falling apart and there isn't a thing I can do about it." She wiped away the tears. "Even if we find her how am I going to fix all of this? They're supposed to like each other, be willing to die for each other, not fighting and running away from each other." The wind blew, rustling her hair; it felt like fingers running through her hair. She sighed and stood up.

"Sorry for dumping all that on you mom." She turned and left, maybe Blake was somewhere at the docks.

* * *

Weiss walked down the streets of Vale, a small hand held mirror in her hand. The streets were mostly empty, only a few people were out and about. She passed by an alleyway, looked around, and entered the alley. She brought the mirror up to her face.

"Mirror, mirror in my hand… what am I going to do about Blake." Her reflection stayed the same. She furrowed her brow and shook the mirror. "Hello, I'm trying to talk to you." She said. Her reflection appeared, sticking out its tongue.

"That was for ignoring me the other night." Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Oh grow up. What am I supposed to do about Blake; she's a Faunus."

"I'm aware. I mean, what can we do?"

"But she isn't like the other Faunus; she never tried to hurt me and she…"

"She what?" Her reflection asked. Weiss leant back, resting her head against the bricks.

"And Yang was right; she is civilized. She hasn't given me a headache like Ruby and Yang have." Her reflection tapped her finger on her chin.

"But she's a Faunus, she's the mortal enemy of our family; she should be pure evil."

"You think I don't know that? But, maybe Father was wrong about the Faunus; maybe they're not all like the White Fang." Her reflection feigned surprise.

"Father be wrong about something? Oh the humanity." Her reflection cackled.

"Maybe I do need to apologize to Blake when we find her; if other Faunus are like her then maybe-"

"Yo Schnee!" A male voice shouted. She gasped in surprise and straightened up, pocketing her mirror. A group of men were in the alley; they were all Faunus. The one in front had a wicked grin plastered across his face. "You came to the wrong part of town," They started to walk towards her and she drew her sword, taking the stance she had been taught for years.

"Maybe Blake is the exception," she thought.

 **And that's it. Just one more chapter and then Volume 1 is finished!**


	13. Black and White

Blake opened and closed her mouth several times before reaching to undo her bow.

"I think it would be easier if I just showed you." She undid her bow to reveal the cat ears she kept hidden. She moved them around, enjoying the feeling of air against her natural ears and how much clearer everything sounded. Sun took a sip from his mug while he used the end of his tail to wave at her.

"Yeah, I got one of those too. So what's the big deal?" Blake cocked her head at him.

"Where are you from?"

"Vacuo, born and raised." Blake nodded in understanding; the one place in the world where her people weren't treated any different.

"Well here in Vale, the Faunus aren't treated like regular people; we're nothing more than animals to most people. Degenerates, thieves, rapists, and murderers to others." Sun leant back in his chair, the front legs lifting into the air as he put his hands behind his head.

"I'll never understand you foreigners. It was like that back in Mistral too." He lowered the seat back down and leaned forward. "So what does you being a Faunus have to do with anything?" He asked. Blake looked down.

"I've kept it hidden for the past year or so, and I've kept it a secret from my team at Beacon."

"And?" Neptune asked. Blake bit her lip.

"I outed myself to one of my teammates."

"That doesn't sound too horrible." Sun said. He picked up his mug and started to drink.

"Said teammate was Weiss Schnee." Sun started to choke on his coffee and she saw Neptune's eyes widen.

"Oh shit," Neptune said as Sun set his mug down, coffee running down his chin.

"As in, uses a Faunus slave force in Vacuo, Schnee? Or does she just happen to have the same last name?" Sun asked.

"The former," Blake said. Sun whistled.

"Yeah, that's a pretty bad person to out yourself to."

"So what are you gonna do now?" Neptune asked. Blake shrugged.

"I guess I'm just going to live with Honey until I can face Weiss." She said.

* * *

Ruby walked down the streets of Vale, her head hung low. She had searched the docks and there wasn't any trace of her. All of the merchants and fishermen there hadn't seen her either. She sighed; Vale was huge, she had no idea where she could be hiding.

"Hello Ruby!" a voice behind her said. Ruby yelped and spun around. Penny was standing there, a big smile plastered on her face.

"Penny! Don't do that." She said. Penny's smile dropped.

"I am sorry Ruby. Did I do something wrong?" Ruby shook her head.

"No, you didn't. Just don't scare me like that."

"Understood! So what are you doing here?" she asked. Ruby scratched the back of her head.

"I'm looking for one of my friends," she said.

"Is it me?" Penny asked with a smile.

"No. I'm looking for Blake." Penny furrowed her brow before asking.

"That is the Faunus girl, correct?" Ruby stared at her, her mouth partially open.

"How did you know she was a Faunus?" Penny looked at her and pointed at her bow.

"Her cat ears," she said.

"Cat ears? What are you talki…" Realization dawned on Ruby. Her bow. Blake used it to hide her actual ears.

"Why are you looking for her?" Penny asked.

"She ran away the other day and-" Penny gasped and grabbed Ruby's shoulders.

"That is horrible! Running away is so awful." She hiccupped. "But don't you worry Ruby my friend, I will not rest until we find your friend." Before Ruby could protest Penny started to march down the street, dragging her along.

* * *

She brought the forkful of fish to her mouth and took a bite. It was delicious and she started to dig into the rest of the meal; seasoned rice and steamed vegetables. After her talk with Sun and Neptune, Blake made a home for herself in one of the bedrooms. She had spent the day reading whatever books Honey had in her home, most of them being mystery novels. She felt bad about leaving Ruby and Yang in the dark but she wasn't ready to face Weiss; maybe in a couple of more days. It's not like her being gone for one day would kill them. Blake had come down from her room to eat dinner with Honey, Neptune, and Sun.

"This is wonderful, thank you Honey," she said. Honey beamed at her.

"Glad you like it, Blake." She said. They ate in silence for a while, the only sounds to be heard being forks scraping against plates and their chewing. Blake cleared her throat before saying

"Have you received any news about your son?" Honey looked down at her plate.

"They still think he robbed that store. I told them that my son would never rob a store, let alone steal all of that man's Dust." Blake looked at her, confusion on her face.

"Steal all of his Dust?" she asked. Honey nodded.

"That's what they're saying. That only the Dust was stolen, none of the money." Blake looked down at her plate, at the delicious food, before looking up and admiring the house. She finally looked at Honey, who was eating her food but looking a tad more distraught. Sun and Neptune were too busy shoveling the food into their gullet's to bother talking.

She was going to help this woman.

"Honey," she looked at Blake.

"Yes?"

"I'm going to find the real culprit, and get your son out of prison." Honey's face lit up as Sun stopped eating and looked at her.

"Cool, how you gonna do it?"

"Well I remember the police saying that it was a group of Faunus, not just one person. Plus if they're only targeting Dust stores for just their Dust then it shouldn't be that hard to notice a trend in the robberies and catch them at the next store." She said. Neptune scratched his chin.

"Didn't one of those guys on the ship say a SDC freighter was coming in tomorrow night?"

"I think so, yeah." Blake grinned.

"A perfect target. I'll try and catch them there." Sun cocked an eyebrow and pointed his fork at her, bits of fish still stuck to it.

"You going to need back up? A whole group of people is going to be a tough fight."

"A couple of petty crooks isn't going to be enough to stop me. And I don't think it would go over well for you two if the police showed up."

"Hmm, ya got a point. But call us if things get out of hand, aight?" Blake nodded at them.

* * *

She backed out of the alleyway as the group of Faunus drew closer. Some of them started to pull knives out of their pockets. She took a breath to steady her nerves; she could do this.

The leader of the group lunged at her with his knife and she sidestepped him, placing a glyph on the ground in front of him. He was launched into the air with a scream before he came falling back down with a crash. He didn't move from the spot he landed. Another one went after her and she parried the blow with her sword. The man tried to stab at her stomach and she jumped back, pulling the trigger on her handle. Her blade was encased in flames and she swung it at the group of men; fire jumping from the tip of her blade and falling onto the sidewalk.

One of the men grasped his head and fell to the ground, screaming. Another's eyes widened at something in the alley, and turned and ran. The rest just stood there, pointing and screaming. Weiss stared at the group of men in confusion, before looking at the alley entrance. A man with a white mustache stood at the alley entrance; dressed in a white suit. She gasped at the sight and started to back away; the flames on her blade sputtering and dying. It couldn't be him; it was impossible. The white suited man leapt into the group, smashing his fist into one of the men's face. Weiss backed away as the white suited man began to pummel the group of Faunus. She backed into a wall, closing her eyes and holding her hand over her head. She was free of him, she was free, and he didn't have any power over her anymore.

"Hey," a voice in front of her said. She kept her eyes closed and threw a punch.

"Go away!" she screamed. The owner of the voice caught her fist and she opened her eyes. A man stood in front of her, he wore a black leather jacket, faded jeans, and a blue shirt. His salt and pepper hair was more salt than it was pepper. A large scar ran diagonally down the side of his face. He was ugly with a big bat like nose. Not bat like, Weiss realized, he _was_ a bat. A bat Faunus. She jerked her hand out of his grasp and brought it back to her side.

Weiss stared at him in confusion; where did he come from? The bat smiled, appearing more gruesome than reassuring.

"Not who you were expecting?" His voice was deep and raspy. Weiss nodded.

"Where did-? What happened to-?"

"I was hoping I would only get those bastards with my semblance."

"Your semblance?" she asked. The bat walked away from her, heading back to the alley. He didn't look back as he said.

"I can cause people to see their worst nightmares. Very useful when taking on groups of people." She saw the bat pick up a bag full of groceries off the alley floor, the group of men lay on the curb, groaning in pain, several had blood running down their chins or from their noses. Weiss followed after the bat as he started to walk down the alley.

"Why did you help me? I had that under control." She said.

"I don't doubt it. But I find that two against six are better odds." Weiss glared at him.

"But why help? I'm a human and you're a Faunus." The bat stopped and turned to look at her.

"And?" Weiss stopped and rubbed her arm, avoiding eye contact with him.

"I mean, what those men were going to do to me… that's what all Faunus want to happen to us humans, right?" He scowled at her, or at least that's what she guessed that expression was.

"What are they teaching you kids nowadays?"

"So you don't want to see me dead? Or worse?" she asked.

"If I did I would have helped them instead of you." He turned and started to walk down the alley.

"Wait! Where are you going? What's your name?" she asked.

"I'm going home before this milk spoils. And the name is Morrison. Bruce Morrison." He said. She continued to follow him as he exited the other end of the alley and started to walk down the sidewalk. Weiss side stepped people as she tried to match his pace.

"Can you help me?" she asked.

"Already did that." Bruce said.

"I'm looking for someone. She's a friend of mine and she's missing and I need to find her." Bruce stopped, people walking around him and giving him dirty looks as he stood in place. Weiss stood behind him. She saw his shoulder's sag and heard him sigh.

"Fine. But we're dropping my groceries off first." Weiss smiled.

"Thank you. I'm Weiss Schnee by the way," she said.

"I know," Bruce said. He started to walk again and Weiss walked by his side, starting to talk about Blake.

* * *

Ruby walked in front of Penny, trying to figure out where to look for Blake next.

"Ruby?" She looked back at Penny, she looked confused.

"Why did Blake run away?"

"She and Weiss got into an argument, and Blake told her she was a Faunus on accident, and well she just kinda ran off after that."

"I do not understand Ruby. Why would Blake being a Faunus cause her to run away from her friends?" Ruby sighed.

"Well, Weiss is… she just doesn't like the Faunus that much."

"Why?"

"I don't know. That's just a way a lot of people think."

"That seems like an illogical way to think. Disliking someone for something they cannot control does not make sense to me Ruby." Ruby laughed a little.

"Me either" she said.

* * *

The rooftop felt cold against Blake's stomach as she lay there. She was at the docks, watching as SDC employee's unloaded freight off of a huge cargo ship. The cargo was branded with the Schnee emblem, the sight making Blake feel on edge. Honey had been kind enough to let her borrow some of her son's clothes and they fit her rather well; if she was going to be in a fight she would rather be wearing pants than the only dress she owned. She had put her bow back on as well; she didn't need to end up in prison as well. The sun began to set as the worker's unloaded freight after freight. It was dark by the time they were finished and finally left. Blake didn't move from her spot as she waited to see if her hunch was right; any second now a small group of thugs would start skulking their way in and she would be able to catch them red handed.

Her ears twitched as the roar of an engine drew closer. "A bullhead?" she thought. The ship roared past her a moment later, kicking up dust and gravel as it flew past the rooftop. It landed next to the cargo and the pod bay door opened. Her eyes widened as she saw who walked out.

"No," she whispered. The Faunus coming out of the ship wore Grimm masks and their jackets were marked with a blood red snarling wolf head and three claw marks; the White Fang. There was about a dozen of them or so, each carrying an assault rifle. Blake reached for her pocket and silently swore when she realized she left her scroll back in the dorm room at Beacon.

"Alright fella's will you pick up the pace. The coast is clear, hook those tow cables up." She heard a voice say. It came from a human; Roman Torchwick if she remembered correctly. The White Fang members gave him rude hand gesture's before going to the nearest freight and starting to hook up a cable to it.

Something was wrong about this entire thing; why on Remnant would they be helping a human? Especially a scum bag like that? And last she checked they were supposed to be destroying Schnee property, not stealing it. She undid her bow before she stood up and jumped off the roof top.

She ran through the maze of freight, her steps silent. She peeked around a corner and saw Torchwick directing the White Fang members with his cane; they all had their backs to her. She ran up to Torchwick, grabbing him by she shoulder and placing her blade against his throat.

"What the fu-?" Torchwick said. The White Fang members spun around, aiming their rifles at her.

"Nobody moves or I slit his throat!" she said. The White Fang member's continued to aim at her. She looked at them, her eyes darting to each one of them. "Brothers and Sisters, why are you aiding this human scum?"

One of the White Fang members started to laugh.

"You've got a lot of guts to call us your Siblings, Traitor." She said. Blake heard Roman laugh as some of the White Fangs members took steps toward them. She pressed the blade further against his throat, pressing into his skin.

"I'll do it!" she said.

"You think we care about that human, Traitor?" One said.

"Adam told us about what you did. We know you've gone soft, you don't have it in you to kill a disgusting human." She swallowed, her mouth dry.

"Why are you working with a human anyway?" she stalled.

"Didn't you get the memo, kitten? The White Fang and I were bought out and we're working on some very important operations."

"Like what?" They all laughed at her.

"Not sure why you care, you're not leaving this place alive." A White Fang member said. Two bullheads roared over top of them, spotlights shining down. Blake grit her teeth; this wasn't good. She gasped as she felt something pull at her leg and she fell to the floor as Roman shouted

"Now!" She saw the White Fang open fire on her, and the end of Roman's cane wrapped around her ankle. She bolted and ran for cover as gunfire rained around her, leaving shadow clones behind to take the hits.

She ducked behind some cargo, and turned Gambol Shroud into its gun form. Sparks flew as the bullets rained down on the container. She saw a small grenade land next to her feet and her eyes widened as she jumped away. The grenade exploded and blew a hole in the container.

"You can run Traitor, but you can't hide!" She poked her head around the hole and fired at the closest White Fang member. The first two shots broke her aura and the third blew a hole in her head. She collapsed, and the White Fang member behind her yelled and started firing.

"Shit," Blake said; she had no spare magazines, she had left them all back in the dorm room. She heard the pod bay doors in the two Bullheads open up and dozens of other White Fang members land on the ground.

She heard them start to scream and she poked her head around the corner to see the White Fang member's clutching their heads or screaming at nothing. Roman was staring at them in confusion. She looked up to cargo container to see a bat Faunus in a black jacket and-

Her jaw dropped. Weiss stood next to the Faunus, her sword drawn, and a scowl on her face. They leapt down from the container, the bat Faunus pulling out what looked like a star shaped shuriken. He threw himself into the crowd of confused White Fang members, using the shuriken to stab and slash their hands. They dropped their rifles and the bat started to punch and kick at them. Some of the White Fang members broke out of their trance and punched the bat in the stomach. She heard him grunt before dodging the other blows, kicked the White Fang member in the shin and slammed his elbow into their face, knocking them to the ground.

"Bruce!" she heard Weiss shout. Bruce looked over at her as she placed a huge glyph underneath the group of White Fang members He leapt out of the bounds of the glyph and Weiss flicked her sword up. The White Fang members where launched into the air, some still screaming their heads off before they came crashing to the ground. Blake heard them groan with pain, and saw a few stagger to their feet. She saw Torchwick aim his cane at Weiss, who was bent over, gasping for breath. Blake ran from her cover and sprinted towards Torchwick. He fired and she saw Weiss' eyes grow wide as the grenade landed at her feet.

The explosion launched her into a cargo container and she slumped to the ground. Blake narrowed her eyes as she swung her sword at Torchwick. He blocked the blow with his cane just in the nick of time. She drew her sheath and swung at his face while she swung at his stomach with her sword. He blocked both blows, she could see him gritting his teeth. She left a shadow clone in her position and leapt over him. He swung at the clone, and she smiled as it evaporated into thin air. She swung her blades as he spun around. He couldn't raise his cane in time and she ran her blades over his chest. He hissed in pain and leapt back, raising his cane.

"Back off kitten, or I blow the ice queen up." He sneered.

"You're bluffing." She said. He smiled.

"I may be a gambling man, but I never bet my own life." They stared at each other before Blake looked back at Weiss; she was still slumped on the ground. Bruce was busy fighting the few remaining White Fang. She felt an explosion of pain in the back of her head as the cane smash against her skull. She fell to the ground, and looked up, her vision bluured, to see Roman running towards the docked Bullhead. He closed the pod bay door behind him and the ship took off. Blake staggered to her feet, and ran over to Weiss.

* * *

Weiss groaned as she felt herself being shaken; her whole body felt horrible and her head was pounding.

"Weiss. Weiss! Wake up!" she groaned and opened her eyes. Blake's face filled her vision. Weiss weakly smiled at her.

"Found you." She said. Blake looked confused and Weiss felt her body move into a sitting position.

"You were looking for me?" she asked.

"Of course I was you dolt, we were all worried about you." Blake's bow flattened against her head. Weiss cocked her head; that wasn't a bow. She raised a hand and pointed at Blake's ears.

"So that's why you wear a bow." Blake's eyes darted upwards as she realized she hadn't put her bow back on.

"I'm sorry, I'll get it back on. I know you hate-"

"No, you look good without it." Blake pushed a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Really?" Weiss nodded. She felt Blake pull her to her feet, holding onto her shoulder.

"Can you stand?" Weiss nodded.

"I'm fine, Blake. Just a little explosion is all." She looked over Blake's shoulder to see Bruce walking over to them, the White Fang left as a pile of groaning bodies. She smiled at him and motioned for Blake to turn around. She did so and Bruce stood in front of her, crossing his arms.

"You Blake?"

"Yes." He looked her over.

"I thought you would be taller." Blake looked at Weiss.

"How do you know this guy?" Blake asked.

"He helped me deal with some riff raff, and I convinced him to help look for you."

"She dragged my ass through half of this city until we got to the docks and heard gunfire." Bruce said. He nodded at Weiss and turned to leave. "I'll let you two deal with the police. I'm leaving; don't want to miss my soaps." They watched him leave. Blake turned to Weiss.

"Why were you looking for me? I thought all us Faunus were murderous animals?" Weiss looked away from Blake and crossed her arms.

"I…I was wrong about you and some of the Faunus."

"Weiss Schnee wrong. That's a surprise."

"Don't be rude. I was always taught that all Faunus were like the White Fang, and you were right; that isn't fair."

"Weiss-" Weiss held up her hand.

"Upupupup, I wasn't done." Weiss took a breath. "While I was out looking for you I started to think and I realized that you weren't any different than me, and you certainly didn't act like the boogeyman I thought Faunus were. And while I was out looking I got jumped by a group of Faunus that fit my mental image a bit better. And then Bruce showed up to help me fight them. The Faunus aren't that different from us humans; there are murderous thugs and helpful citizens in both groups." Weiss looked away from Blake. "And I guess this is my way of saying I'm sorry. For making you feel like you had to run away."

Weiss looked over at Blake to see her smiling.

"Apology accepted." Weiss pointed her index finger at Blake's face.

"But the next time something this serious comes up, don't you dare run away. Or keep it all bottled up inside. You're my teammate and we need to be able to communicate. Promise that you'll be more open and won't keep secrets like this anymore."

"I promise," Blake said. Weiss smiled and pulled out her scroll.

"Great. I'll let Yang and Ruby know where to find us. I think you should put your bow back on before the police arrive." Blake nodded and wrapped her ears up in her bow as Weiss talked to the rest of their team.

* * *

Ruby ducked underneath the police tape, Penny following after her. There were several police cars, and vans parked as police dragged handcuffed Faunus into the back of the vehicles. She saw Yang standing next to a police car, her arms crossed as Weiss and Blake talked to the police. Ruby smiled, Blake was okay.

"Hello Yang!" Penny said. Yang looked back at them, cocking an eyebrow at the sight of Penny.

"Hey, Penny. What are you doing here?"

"She was helping me look for Blake. How are they?" Ruby asked. Yang looked back at them, the flashing lights illuminating her hair.

"Hard to tell. Hard to believe they took out this many White Fang members all on their own."

"I agree Yang that does seem most improbable!" Penny said. They watched Weiss and Blake talk to the police until the police left them and went to their vehicles. Weiss and Blake walked over to Ruby and Yang. Ruby smiled and embraced Blake, who went rigid at the contact. Ruby felt Yang join the hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay Blake!" Ruby said.

"Please let go of me," Blake said. Ruby broke the hug and took a step back.

"So what happened?" Ruby asked.

"I came down here to prove Ho- a friend's son was innocent and I ended up fighting a bunch of White Fang and Roman Torchwick. Weiss showed up to save the day."

"Oh please, you did most of the heavy lifting." Weiss said.

"So did you clear his name?" Yang asked. Blake nodded.

"The White Fang match the shop owner's description more than him; they should be releasing him soon." Yang glared at Weiss and looked at Blake.

"So why'd you run away?" Blake sighed and looked at Weiss, who nodded her head. With shaky hands she undid her bow. Ruby squeed at the sight; Blake had adorable kitty ears.

"Oh my god you look like a cute little cat!" Ruby said. Yang scowled.

"That's it? You put us through this because you're a Faunus?" She looked at Weiss. "She didn't do anything else to make you leave?" Blake shook her head. Yang's shoulders slumped and she exhaled before looking at Weiss. "Sorry," she said.

"For?" Yang sighed and crossed her arms before looking away from Weiss.

"For blaming you for this."

"And?"

"For slapping you. Ya happy?" Weiss grinned.

"I am. Apology accepted." Ruby threw her fist in the air.

"All right! Team RWBY is back!" Penny cleared her throat and they all looked at her.

"If it would not be too much to ask, would it be acceptable with you all if I were to live with you? I do not have very many friends and I very much enjoy your company." Ruby nodded her head.

"Of course you can Penny. Right guys?" she looked back at them, they were forcing smiles but they nodded. Penny smiled and pulled Ruby into a hug, crushing her against her chest.

"Oh happy day! Thank you Ruby!" Ruby smiled as Penny hugged her.

* * *

Roman grunted as he was painfully shoved against a wall, a blade placed at his throat.

"You what?!" Adam demanded.

"Look it wasn't my fault, your ex and some of her friends showed up and there wasn't much I could do to stop them."

"You cost us an entire freighter of Dust! Two bullheads! And three dozen of my men!" He leaned forward, his face centimeters away from Roman's. "And worst of all, you let her escape. I should kill you right now."

"That won't be necessary Adam," a female voice said. Roman looked over Adam's shoulder to see their boss enter the room, her two lackeys tailing her like always. She was an average sized woman with long black hair and orange eyes. She wore a red and black dress and black heels. Adam withdrew his blade and Roman slid down the wall.

"We still have plans for Roman, he's just going to have to recuperate tonight's losses in the coming months."

"Fine." Adam skulked off. Roman rubbed his throat; he could see where the kitten got the throat cutting thing from.

His boss held out her hand, and a flame appeared above it. She smiled at him, the sight making his stomach go into knots.

"You had best get to work Roman, you have a lot of Dust to replace." Roman swallowed as she stared at him.


	14. Best Day Ever

**Hello! Sorry for the long delay on this chapter, finals and working retail this time of year has really prevented me from getting any writing done. But I'm back and we're now on Vol2! I hope you enjoy it!**

It was a beautiful summer day in Vale; idle chatter filled the air as citizens walked the streets and airships soared through the air. Cars drove down the roads, honking at tourists as they darted through the streets in the unfamiliar city.

A woman with dark skin and mint green hair found herself standing in the line of a hot dog stand, the greasy smell from the stand making her mouth water. The line was short and she was next to go but she tapped her foot impatiently as the man made his order.

The man got his hot dog, smiled and thanked the vendor, and left. The woman stepped up to the vendor and smiled.

"What'll it be?" he asked.

"A large with everything on it," The man clacked the tongs as he threw the dog on the grill.

"Coming right up," he said.

She rocked back and forth on her feet with her hands resting behind her back as she waited on her food. After a few minutes the vendor handed her the food; a foot long hot dog covered in chili, peppers, pickles, tomatoes, onions, and mustard. She threw some lien onto the counter and left, biting into the messy dog. She walked down the street and turned a corner. A man in gray clothes with gray hair stood at the corner, his arms crossed.

"That stuff is gonna go straight to your thighs Emerald," he said with a grin. Emerald walked past him and swallowed.

"Can it Mercury. You get the address?" He followed after her.

"Yep. It's a few blocks away." They walked in silence, stepping past people as they walked down the crowded street. Emerald finished the rest of her hot dog by the time they got to the building.

It was a small building sandwiched between two other buildings. A 'going out of business' poster was in the window. Mercury opened the door and motioned for her to go in.

"Ladies first," he said. She ignored him and walked in. The building was poorly lit and shelves full of books were organized neatly throughout the room. She heard the door lock behind her as she strode to the counter. Mercury lingered near the front of the store. Books were piled on the counter and a single bell sat in the center. A door was behind the counter. She hit the bell, the sound ringing throughout the room loudly.

"I'll be right there!" A ruff, masculine voice called out. The door opened and a burly man with short dark hair and sideburns walked out, carrying books in both arms.

"Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade! How ma-" he stopped for a moment, his hazel eyes darting between Emerald and Mercury. He smiled at them and cleared his throat as he set the books down. "How may I help you?" Emerald smiled at him.

"We saw you're going out of business sale and wanted to check this place out." She said. Tukson looked at her before giving a wary smile.

"So what I can get for you?"

"You have any comics?" Mercury shouted from behind a shelf.

"Yeah, to your left." A thumbs up appeared above the shelf.

"I was wondering if you had a copy of the Thief and the Butcher, Violet's Garden, and Third Crusade. Preferably in paper back."

"They should be near the front," he said.

"Thanks." Emerald smiled at him, left the counter and started to walk over to the shelves. She stopped and walked back to the counter. She pulled out her scroll and held it up to him, a picture of a girl with black hair, black bow, and amber eyes was on the screen. Tukson looked at the picture before looking at her.

"You wouldn't happen to know this girl, would you?" The edge of his lip turned downward as he said

"No, I don't."

"Oh, well that's odd." Emerald flicked her thumb, switching the picture. It was a security photo from Tukson's store. The girl in the photo was buying books and talking to Tukson. They were smiling.

"She's a wanted by the White Fang you know. For desertion." She heard Mercury step out from behind the shelf and start walking towards her. Tukson's face betrayed no emotion.

"May I ask why your store is going out of business?" Emerald ask.

"I'm moving to Vacuo to get a fresh start." Emerald cocked her head.

"You wouldn't be trying to leave the White Fang here in Vale, would you?" He glared at them. "Why didn't you let Adam know where she was? We wouldn't be having to do this now if you had just told us."

"Blake was right to get out while she could. Adam's a monster and he had no right betraying Leader Khan to help you human scum," he said, a growl in his voice. Mercury made a tsk, tsk noise with his tongue.

"No need to be rude Tukson." Tukson yelled and leapt at them, his hands turning into claws. Emerald and Mercury stepped out of the way, smiles on their faces. Tukson spun around and his eyes grew wide at the sight before him. Emerald snickered as he looked around in confusion.

"Where'd you go!" he said, his head swiveling to and fro. Mercury kicked at Tukson, a shotgun blast firing out of his greaves. Tukson shouted as his aura broke, yellow energy shimmering around him. Emerald unsheathed her sickles and walked forward as Tukson spun around, facing them. She thrusted, her sickles stabbing up into his stomach. Tukson gasped and looked down before looking Emerald in the eyes. She smiled and retched her arms up, ripping Tukson's torso open, blood spurting onto her face.

Tukson's body slumped to the floor, blood pooling around him and his entrails spilling out. Mercury started to walk towards the exit, grabbing a comic off the shelf before unlocking the door. He opened the door and walked out. Emerald followed after him.

"You're gonna want to get cleaned up before we report back," he said as they walked down the street. Emerald snickered.

* * *

He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose before looking back at the screen. The members of the Council glared back at him.

"It isn't that we distrust you Ozpin, we just believe that it would be best if we had a more stable security force in Vale during the Vytal Festival." The Vale Councilwoman said.

"The Hunters in Vale and the VPD should be more than enough to keep the peace during the Festival."

"We do not doubt that. But we have seen an increase in activity in the Vale branch of the White Fang. Rumor has it that it has become a splinter group with a more radical anti-human sentiment than the main branch. I do not think it would be out of line to assume that these terrorists would use the festival as a chance to attack." The Mistral Councilman said.

"We will be sending General Ironwood and a small security force to Vale to help oversee preparations for the Festival." The Atlas Councilwoman said.

"Meeting adjourned," the Vacuo Councilman said. The screen went dark and Ozpin leant back, sighing. Glynda stood in his office, waiting on Ozpin. She was scowling.

"Of all the people to send," she said.

"It cannot be helped Glynda." He said. "Is Coco here?"

"Yes sir, I had her wait outside while you talked with the Council."

"Send her in." Glynda nodded and went to the door, opening it. Coco strode in and stopped in front of his desk.

"You needed me Oz?"

"I did. I have a mission for your team." Coco crossed her arms.

"This a school assignment or a favor?" she asked.

"A favor."

"What will we be doing?"

"You will be going out to a small farming village outside the city and protecting it."

"Supplies?"

"Whatever you can carry."

"Our classes?"

"You'll be exempt." Coco uncrossed her arms.

"And the dance that I was in charge of organizing?" Ozpin linked his fingers together.

"I'll let you take care of that." He said. Coco nodded.

"Alright, when do we leave?"

"Tomorrow morning." Coco turned away from the desk and left the room.

* * *

The pencil danced her in her hand as she drew in her notebook. She narrowed her eyes as she concentrated on his eyes, they were always the hardest part to get right.

"You draw?" a voice said. Blake slammed the notebook closed and looked at the owner of the voice.

Weiss' face was close to hers, her icy eyes looking at the closed notebook. Blake dropped her pencil on top of the notebook and flicked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yes," she said.

"What of?" Weiss asked.

"Oh just… things from when I was younger."

"Laaame." Yang said, popping a grape into her mouth. Ruby groaned as she looked up from an abnormally large binder overflowing with papers and dividers.

"Ugh, this is so boring. I can't believe we have exams on the first day of the semester." Weiss looked down the table at Ruby. She stared at the binder.

"Is that my binder?" she asked.

"You can't prove that it isn't yours," Ruby said. Yang snickered and Blake looked away as Weiss started to scold Ruby for stealing her binder. She saw teams JNPR and SVDJ playfully throwing food at each other.

"Hey Blake." Blake swiveled her head to the new voice. Coco stood next to her, chewing on a piece of gum.

"Oh hey Coco, what brings you here?" Blake heard Ruby ask. Coco popped the bubble she was blowing before she answered.

"I got a favor for you guys. We'll talk about in my dorm room, 'kay?"

"And where is that exactly?" Weiss asked.

"Two eighteen, second floor in the dorm room." She smiled. "I still owe you guy's drinks. Don't keep me waiting." She left them then. Blake looked at her teammates, who were looking at one another.

"What do you guys think she wants?" Weiss asked.

"Maybe she just wants to pay us back for Blake helping Velv last semester." Yang suggested.

"Better go see what she wants." Ruby said, standing up.

"It okay if I sit this one out?" Blake said. Weiss looked at her.

"You sure Blake?" Blake looked at her notebook.

"I'm pretty sure. I'll see you guys in class." Blake grabbed her notebook and left. She could feel a set of eyes watching her as she walked away.

* * *

Sun walked through the courtyard of Beacon, Neptune beside him. The sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

"Man, you'd think this place would have better security. They just let us walk right in." Neptune said.

"Yeah." They continued to walk through the courtyard, uniformed students walking past them, giving them odd looks. "You hungry?" Sun asked, stopping and looking at Neptune. Neptune shrugged his shoulders.

"Eh, I could eat. You think they have any good grub here?"

"I hope so." He stopped a student walking past them "Hey you know where the cafeteria is?" She looked at them before looking back and pointing at a large building to the left of the tower in the middle of the courtyard.

"Yeah, it's that building over there. You guys transfer students?" She asked. Sun scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, we're from Haven. Just got here today." Neptune said with a smile. The girl smiled back.

"Oh cool. Hope you like Beacon!" She walked off, heading to the large tower. Sun smiled at Neptune and they started to walk towards the building that the girl pointed at. Students walked past them, chatting idly as they made their way to the building.

It was a long gray hall with tall windows, and tall wooden doors. Neptune opened the door for Sun, doing an exaggerated bow.

"After you," he said. A white pie hit Sun in the face, sliding down and falling to the floor. Neptune stared at Sun in shock.

"Dude, did you just get creampied?" Sun wiped the pie from his eyes, flicking it to the ground.

"Gross dude." He said. Sun ducked out of the way as a sub sandwich flew past him. Neptune poked his head around the door.

Inside a mighty war was being waged; tables flipped over, stained with condiments and bits of food, and students hurled food at one another. An Amazonian girl with a long crimson ponytail dueled a large dark skin manned; a swordfish was in her hand, a baguette in the man's hand. Food flied around them as they dueled, focused solely on the enemy before them.

A girl with short orange hair laughed manically as she launched soda can's behind the enemy's defenses, exploding and spraying its fizzy contents all over the students. A purple haired dog Faunus tossed a cupcake over the table, hitting a man with black and pink hair square in the face. He fell back behind the table, dropping the zucchini in his hands.

A blonde haired boy struggled to lift a watermelon and hurl it over his table. It splattered in front of the table. A man with gray hair and a moose Faunus grinned at the blonde boy before throwing pie at him. He 'eeped' and ducked down below the table, the pies hitting a tall man with short auburn hair behind him. He sputtered and fell to the ground.

Sun stood staring as the war waged, Neptune ducking back behind the door as a turkey leg went flying past where his head had been previously.

"Wow," Sun said. An angry looking blonde woman in a white blouse stormed past him, a riding crop in her hand. She flicked the riding crop, the tables being enveloped in a purple light and being levitated into the air. The students looked at her, fear and shock on their faces. The Amazonian and the large man stopped their duel, the amazon biting her lip.

"Students, please do not play with your food." She set the tables upright and lowered her arm to her side. "Who is responsible for this?" The students pointed at the amazon, large man, orange haired girl, moose and dog Faunus, black and pink haired man, gray haired man, and the blonde boy. Sun saw her tighten her grip around her riding crop, her knuckles turning white.

"JNPR, SVDJ, my office, now." She spun on her heels and stormed off. The forsaken students trudged out of the cafeteria, bits of food stuck in their hair and covering their clothes. Neptune peeked out from behind the door. He watched the students walk off before looking at Sun. He gave a cheeky grin.

"I like this place," he said. Sun rolled his eyes and walked into the cafeteria.

"Let's see if they have any food left."

* * *

She lightly knocked on the door, and waited for a response. Yang side eyed her before banging on the door.

"Come in!" Coco yelled from behind the door. Yang gave Weiss a smug grin, and opened the door, walking in.

The room was slightly larger than their own dorm room and was incredibly messy. There were bean bag chairs were scattered across the room and a variety of alcohol bottles were organized on a table in the back of the room. Two of the beds in the room were nice and tidy while the other two were a mess, the blankets haphazardly thrown on top of the mattress. The room reeked of gun oil, cigarettes, and alcohol. There were oil stains in the wood flooring.

Coco was sitting in one of the bean bag chairs, Velvet in her lap, a bottle in hand. Her signature beret was resting on one of the messy beds. A large man with short black hair, olive skin, and dark eyes sat on the floor playing cards with a brown skinned Fox Faunus with red hair covered head to toe in scars.

The fox Faunus looked up from the card game, staring at Weiss as she entered; his eyes were entirely white. His eyes unsettled her and she stood off to the side. Ruby entered the room and closed the door.

Coco looked up from her seat and smiled at them, waving them into the room with the bottle. Velvet looked at them, scrunching her eyebrows.

"Where's Blake?" she asked.

"She said she wasn't feeling well, and couldn't make it." Weiss said. The fox stared at her a little more before setting his cards on the ground and standing up. The large man stood up as well. Coco motioned towards them.

"Meet Fox and Yatsuhashi." Yang held up a hand in greeting.

"Hello," Ruby said.

"Nice to meet you," Weiss said, flashing a smile.

"You are the ones who helped Velvet with that bigot are you not?" Fox asked.

"We are!" Yang said. Fox smiled.

"I have been waiting to meet you. Coco has talked about drinking with you for months. It is always nice to have new drinking buddies around here."

"Pull up a seat and grab a glass." Coco said. Yatsuhashi walked over to the table covered in bottles, pulled up several before deciding on one and grabbed several shot glasses. He handed one to Fox, one to Velvet, two to Yang, and one to Weiss. He filled each glass. Yang looked at the two glasses in confusion.

"Why do I have two?"

"Ruby looks a bit too young to be drinking. You look like you can handle your spirits rather well." Yang shrugged and smiled. Coco raised her bottle.

"To racist assholes, may the Grimm give 'em what they deserve." She said before starting to guzzle down the drink. Fox and Yatsuhashi clinked glasses with Yang and Weiss. Weiss hesitated, the glass on her lips, before downing the shot. She started to cough, the alcohol burning as it went down. She grimaced and set the shot glass on the floor. One was more than enough. Yatsuhashi and Fox downed the glasses. Fox smiled and licked his lips as Yatsuhashi sighed and closed his eyes. Yang downed one glass and then the other and shook her head, scrunching her nose.

"Holy shit that's strong," Yang said. Velvet handed her glass to Coco who downed it with ease. Ruby watched them all, arching an eyebrow at them.

Coco gave Velvet a kiss on the nose, causing her to giggle, before situating herself in the bean bag so Velvet was next to her instead of on her.

"Alright, now that the formalities are out of the way let's get down to business." Yang sat on the floor and Ruby sat in one of the bean bags. Weiss continued to stand. "My team and I will be going on a mission for Ozpin and we're leaving tomorrow. We were in charge of the summer dance but with us leaving there won't be anyone to plan it." Weiss gently clasped her hands together, watching Coco. Planning? A dance? A smile flickered on her lips.

"We were hoping you would be willing to take care of that for us," Velvet said.

"We understand if you would not want to do something so short not-" Yatsuhahsi started.

"We'll do it," Weiss said. Everyone looked at her.

"We will?" Ruby asked. Weiss nodded her head, the smile on her face growing.

"Oh this is absolutely marvelous. What kind of dance is it going to be? Black tie? Ballroom dancing?" Coco snorted.

"Of course not. But hell, if you're that excited about it then have at it." Yang grinned and closed her hand.

"Yeah, this could be fun. I've been to enough clubs to know how to have a good time. You can count on us."

The bell rang, the noise loud and annoying. Yang and Ruby stood up and and Weiss opened the door.

"Woah, hang on a sec." Coco said. They looked back at her. She smiled, shaking the bottle. "The teachers know we're going on a mission. Stay a while, and just tell them you were helping us get ready." Yang shrugged and looked at Ruby. She scratched the back of her head before looking at Weiss. Weiss sighed and said.

"You guys go ahead, I have something I have to go take care of." Coco pouted.

"Ah fine. Later Weiss, let's do this again some time. And bring Blake with ya next time." Weiss nodded her head and exited the room. She shut the door behind her and started to walk down the hallway.

* * *

Emerald popped a raisin into her mouth as she walked through the open hanger door, a fork lift carrying a shipment of Dust driving past her. Mercury trailed behind her, his hands behind his head. It was night and the building was illuminated by bright overhead lights. White Fang members shouted at each other as they unloaded Dust from a bulkhead. Emerald pocketed the box of raisins as they neared two men arguing.

"I do believe that I deserve to know why I am gathering so much Dust for you animals!" Adam grabbed Roman by the front of his shirt, lifting him off the ground.

"Us animals?" Adam growled.

"Enough Adam," a seductive and lethal sounding voice said above them. Emerald looked up to see their boss standing above them. She stepped onto a lift and it descend to the ground.

"Cinder!" Emerald said excitedly as she strode forward. Adam dropped Roman to the floor, who quickly straightened out his clothes. Cinder looked at Emerald and Mercury, narrowing her eyes at them.

"Where have you two been?"

"Helping the White Fang out with a would be runaway," Mercury said, crossing his arms. Adam looked at him.

"You what?"

"Tukson Schreiber was in contact with Blake and was planning to desert the White Fang and move to Vacuo. We took care of him for you." Mercury said.

"We're already short on man power, you should have brought him back to me," Adam said stepping towards Mercury.

Cinder glared at them.

"Did I not specifically instruct you two to keep yourselves out of trouble while we are here?" She said. Emerald looked down and rubbed her arm.

"We just thought-"

"I don't pay you to think. I pay you to obey." Emerald hung her head.

"Yes ma'am," she said.

"Won't happen again," Mercury said. Cinder rounded on Roman. He laughed nervously.

"And you, I pay you to collect Dust. Do not ask why, just do it. Understood?" Roman nodded. Cinder smiled, the sight unnerving. "Good. Why don't you go give your daughter a call, we could use her soon." Roman arched an eyebrow in confusion.

"My little Neo? She can't talk and she isn't the best at-" Cinder stared at him, fire consuming her hands. Roman gulped and nodded his head. "Right, I'll get on that." Roman shoved past Adam, pulling out his scroll and starting to text. Cinder turned to Adam.

"Will this be enough Dust to last?" Adam nodded his head.

"We're used to making due with what we can scrounge up. This should last us a few years."

"Good." She said. She stepped towards Adam, getting intimately close. She trailed her hand down his face before grabbing him by the chin, bringing him down to eye level. "But the next time someone tries to run away, you kill them. Understood?" Adam said nothing. She tightened her grip, pressing her face against his. "Understood?" Adam nodded. She let him go. "Good. And if you are so low on men, I'm sure you can hold a rally or two and get us some new recruits." She stepped away from him and turned towards Mercury and Emerald.

"Once young Neo arrives we will begin phase two. Adam," she looked back at him. "Once phase two begins I will be sending you and Roman coordinates. I want the White Fang to clear this building out and move all the Dust to those coordinates." Adam nodded and stalked off.

Cinder looked at Emerald and Mercury, putting her hands on her hips. She smiled at them.

"Now then, let's see how we look in our uniforms."

 **And that's it! Let me know what you think.**


	15. C-C-Combo Maker

Glynda leaned against her desk and glared at the students in front of her. Their uniforms were a mess and Nora wouldn't stop fidgeting. She pushed her glasses up before saying

"Would any of you care to tell me what compelled you to start a food fight?" Nora glanced at her teammates, whose lips were drawn tight.

"We thought it would be fun?" she offered. Glynda narrowed her eyes.

"You are training to be the protectors of the world, and you thought it appropriate to start a food fight?"

"Yes?" Jet said. She glared at him, and he shrunk back. These students had seen firsthand what they would be up against for the rest of their life and they thought it was okay to act like children? She clenched her fists and stepped forward.

"This behavior is completely unacceptable for Beacon students. Starting today, you all ha-" There was a knocking at the door before it opened. Ozpin stood in the doorway, leaning on his cane. The students looked back at him and he smiled at them.

"You all look like a mess. Why don't you head to your dorms and wash up? I have to talk to Professor Goodwitch." Glynda glared as the students looked at one another before hurrying past Ozpin, shouting thanks as they left. Ozpin hobbled into the room and closed the door.

"Why would you do that Ozpin? They made a mess of the cafeteria and a mockery of this school," she said.

"They're still children, Glynda. Let them play the part."

"They are young adults and they need to act like it."

"There's nothing wrong with having some childish fun every once in a while. And I would rather have them enjoy their time here before they are exposed to the horrors of the Hunter life style." Glynda sighed.

"Fine." She leaned up against her desk. "What did you want to discuss, sir?" Ozpin looked back at the door before looking at her.

"While James is here I plan on discussing Amber." Glynda sucked in a breath, and gripped the edge of her desk. Ozpin couldn't be wanting to do that so soon. None of her students should be subjected to that. She shook her head.

"His plans for her are monstrous. You can't be seriously considering them?" Ozpin's face darkened.

"We don't know if she will ever recover. It's the only other option we have; I just want to have a plan encase she attacks before we are ready." Glynda looked away from him.

"It's wrong Ozpin," she said.

"I'm aware." His tone was firm. He sighed and Glynda looked back at him. He looked tired. "Do you know who could be a potential candidate?" Glynda's mind wandered to the many talented students she had, her thoughts lingering on a crimson haired champion. She shook her head again, clearing her head and looked into Ozpin's eyes. Ozpin was right, they were children. And she would be damned before she would let any of them be forced to bear that burden.

"No sir," she said. Ozpin closed his eyes and turned his back to her.

"I see," he said. He opened the door and left, leaving Glynda alone in her office.

* * *

She pressed her scroll to the dorm door before opening it. Penny sat on Ruby's bed, humming while she drew in a book. Weiss walked into the room and closed the door behind her. Penny looked up from her book before leaping down from the bed. She gave a small salute.

"Salutations Weiss!" She said.

"Hello Penny," Weiss said. Penny cocked her head to the side, bringing a finger to her lower lip.

"Is something wrong Weiss? Why are you not in class?" she asked.

"This is my free period, and I wanted to talk to you." Penny nodded her head.

"What do you want to talk about?" Weiss sighed before responding.

"I wanted to talk about Blake." Penny cocked her head to the side again.

"What about her?"

"Does she seem different to you?" Penny blinked several times.

"I do not understand your question."

"I mean, do you think she has been acting strange? More moody, more antisocial? I thought everything would go back to normal after she got back but she's been really distant and I'm worried about her."

"I am not sure of what use I may be to you Weiss. I have only known Blake a small amount of time and the behavior that you interpret as strange is normal to me." She said. Penny rested her knuckle underneath her chin. "Is it possible she is menstruating?" She offered.

"What? No! She's been acting like this too long for it to be that. And she hasn't acted like this before either."

"Hmm." She made a humming noise as she thought. "Is it possible that she did not want to be brought back?" Weiss furrowed her brow.

"Why would-?"

"You hate the Faunus, right?" Penny interrupted. Weiss' mouth fell open before she closed it and scowled at her.

"Who told you that?"

"No one in particular," she hiccupped. "Just a rumor," she hiccupped again. Weiss huffed and crossed her arms, looking away from her.

"I mean, I did… distrust the Faunus. And I still don't trust every one that I meet, but Blake is different. She's my friend."

"Maybe that is what is bothering Blake? You still hating other Faunus." Weiss glared at her.

"I said I don't hate them." Weiss sighed and uncrossed her arms. "But maybe you're right. Maybe she's still upset about our argument." She nodded at Penny. "Thank you Penny," she said. Penny beamed at her.

"I was glad to be of service Weiss!" Weiss smiled at Penny before taking her seat at her desk. She heard Penny climb back into the bed she and Ruby shared and resume her humming. Weiss opened up her textbook and one of her other binders and started to take notes for Professor Port's exam. She stayed there until the bell rang. At that she packed up her belongings and left the room, making her way to Professor Goodwitch's class.

* * *

She brushed her hand against the page, wiping away the excess graphite. She looked at her drawing; it had been a while since she had tried drawing a person or anything besides flowers. It looked like him, but she felt that she had made his nose a tad too big. She rubbed the side of her face as she looked at the drawing, astounded that she was able to accurately capture the intensity of his eyes. She heard the classroom door open and looked up.

Ruby walked in, followed by Yang, who looked like she was having a hard time walking straight. Blake closed her notebook as Ruby took her seat next to her and Yang slumped into her seat on the other side of her. Blake looked at her partner and saw that her cheeks were flushed. Yang looked at her and giggled.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" Blake turned to Ruby.

"Is Yang drunk?" Ruby gave a nervous laugh.

"Maybe?" She felt Yang start to play with her hair.

"And you though- stop it- and you thought it would be a good idea to have her in Glynda's class?" Blake grabbed Yang's hand and brought it to the desk. Ruby looked up at the ceiling.

"We're doing team attacks today, and we can't really do that without her."

"But she's drunk," Blake said. Ruby looked at her and raised her hands, the palms facing up. She gave a nervous smile.

"Maybe Glynda won't notice?" She heard Yang's head hit the desk.

"I think she's going to notice." The door opened again and both Blake and Ruby looked over to it. Weiss walked in, saw Yang, and looked at them quizzically.

"Is she-?"

"Yep," Blake said. Weiss glared at Yang, then at Ruby. Ruby scratched the back of her head as Weiss glared at her, offering a sheepish smile.

"Why would you let her drink with Coco? And why would you bring her _here_?" Yang looked up and smirked at Weiss, her head swaying slightly. There was a red spot on her forehead where it had made contact with the desk.

"Do you nots like me Weish?" Weiss looked at Yang, looking mildly annoyed.

"You're in no state to fight," she said. Yang waved her hand dismissively.

"I'm fines," she slurred. Weiss sighed and took her seat next to Ruby. She looked at Ruby, an irked expression on her face. "If we get detention, it's your fault."

The rest of the students started to file into the room and Professor Goodwitch soon arrived as well. Something about her seemed off to Blake, like she was tired or emotionally drained. She stood in front of the bleachers, her back as straight and stiff as a ruler, her hands resting behind her back, and her eyes wondering over the body of students. Blake saw her eyes linger on Yang, before they resumed scanning the room. The room was deathly quiet as the students waited on her.

"Today class we will be going over team attacks. While out in the field you are sure to encounter opponents who will require you to work alongside your partner to defeat. Due to the chaotic nature of battle it is good to be well versed in all of your teammate's combat styles and be able to aid them when the need arises. You never know who you will be forced to fight alongside and this exercise will help you prepare for that inevitability. Now, we will be leaving the classroom and going into the exercise field near the gym. Once there you will break into your teams and begin training. I want a list of every possible team combination and the basic battle strategy involved with each combination by the end of class." She said.

The students stood up and started to file out of the room, chatting about their combo attack and team formations and other things Blake didn't care about at the moment. She stood up, walked around Ruby and Weiss and followed the rest of the students.

Glynda's riding crop shot out in front of her face when she tried to leave the room. Blake looked at Glynda, who was looking at Yang as she stumbled down the bleachers.

"Team RWBY, stay in here a moment. I need to have a word with you," she said, her voice even. Blake stepped out of the line of students and stood off to the side, her ears felt uncomfortable as they tried to flatten against her head only to be held in place by her bow.

The rest of her team joined her, and stood waiting while the rest of the students left the room. Yang leaned against Ruby, as Glynda took her glasses off, cleaned them against her blouse, and put them back on.

"Would you care to enlighten me as to why Ms. Xiao Long is intoxicated?" She asked calmly. Yang got off of Ruby and gave Glynda a thumbs up

"I wash helpin' the coffee getready for their mishion," she said. Glynda sighed, and turned to Ruby.

"I assume she is referring to Team CFVY?" Yang stepped in front of Ruby before she could answer.

"Yeah dem! They got da good shit," She said with a giggle. Blake heard Ruby face palm as her sister beamed at Glynda.

"Ms. Rose," she said. Ruby peaked over her sister's shoulder to look at Glynda. "Due to the…condition of Ms. Xiao Long you will not be participating in the physical aspect of this exercise." Ruby groaned. "However, due to the circumstances involving her condition you will be exempt. But I will require the list of team combinations. You will remain in here for the remainder of the class period. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am," Ruby said.

"Good." With that Glynda turned on her heels and marched out of the room. Weiss exhaled as Ruby started to make her way back to her desk.

"All right Team RWBY! Let's get down to business!" She pulled out a pencil and a piece of paper. Blake took her seat again and Weiss helped Yang to her desk.

Blake rested her head against her hand and stared at nothing as her mind wandered and the banter from her teammates became a buzzing in her ears.

Why were the White Fang working with a human? Especially one like Roman Torchwick? Was Adam looking for her? Did her leaving him make him see that treating innocent humans like they treated their people wasn't the way to equality? She rubbed the side of her face. Would she have to be on the lookout for other White Fang members while out in Vale? How many White Fang member's new she had left? What would-

"Blake?" Ruby said.

"Huh?" Blake looked over at her leader. Ruby was looking at her, her pencil in hand. Weiss was looking at her, concern in her eyes.

"I said are those names okay with you?" Blake fidgeted in her seat slightly.

"Yeah, sure." Ruby grinned and started to write on the paper.

"All right! So Blake, you're attack names are checkmate, when you fight with Weiss, ladybug, when you fight with me, and bumblebee, when you fight with Yang," she said excitedly. Blake nodded and went back to her thoughts as Ruby prattled out the other combination attacks. That Sister had mentioned that the White Fang had been bought out; was it the entire organization or only the Vale branch? Why would the White Fang give up their principles fo-

"Blake?" Weiss asked.

"What?" she said, more than slightly annoyed at having her train of thought interrupted again. Weiss' face softened as Blake looked at her.

"We asked if you wanted to join us in the dorm for a game," she said.

"Remnant da game!" Yang shouted, pumping a fist into the air before slouching in her chair. Blake shook her head.

"No thanks, I've got some things I have to do in the library." She said.

"Okay, well you can play with us when you're done," Ruby said. Blake went back to her thoughts. A few minutes later the class began to file back in and, with a sigh, Blake returned her attention to Glynda as she walked into the center of the classroom.

"We will continue this exercise tomorrow, but I want the list on my desk before you leave." The bell rang and students stood up. Blake stood up and joined the surge of students and left the room and her team.

Perhaps there were a surge in news stories about the White Fang doing strange things that could provide a clue? With that thought Blake made her way to the library, walking around people as they stood in her way.


	16. Welcome to Beacon

**And here's the next chapter. Hope you like it!**

He took a sip from his coffee mug as he and Glynda looked out the window in his office. An Atlesian Dreadnaught, the Yeti if Ozpin remembered the nickname correctly, landed on the landing strip in front of Beacon. A squadron of dropships, Yuki-Onna's, and fightership's, Chione's, soared through the air as the gangway on the Yeti was lowered and soldiers began to march out.

Glynda crossed her arms, a scowl appearing on her face.

"James certainly loves bringing his work with him wherever he travels," she said through clenched teeth. Ozpin watched as the Yuki-Onna's began to land.

"James has a duty not only to Atlas Academy but to the Atlesian military as well," he said. Glynda looked at him, cocking an eyebrow. He sighed. "But those are a bit of an eyesore." He turned around at the sound of a knocking at his door. "Come in," he said.

The door opened and General Ironwood walked in. He was a tall man with a firm jaw. His graying hair was cut short and he had a scar going across his forehead. His white suit was clean and finely pressed, and he wore a white glove on his right hand. He smiled at Ozpin as he walked to the middle of the room. Ozpin hobbled over to him and Ironwood offered his hand. Ozpin took it and shook it politely before bringing his hand back to his side.

"Oz, it's been too long," he said.

"Indeed it has, General." Ironwood chuckled.

"No need to be so formal." He looked over Ozpin's shoulder. "Hello again Glynda, it has been far too long since we last spoke."

"Not long enough," she said. She walked past them both, not looking at Ironwood at all, and reached the door. She looked back at Ozpin and said "I'll be outside." With that she shut the door. Ironwood looked back at the door as Ozpin hobbled over to his desk and started to pour coffee into a mug.

"I see she's hasn't changed a bit."

"She has every reason to be upset with you James." Ozpin handed him a mug and started to refill his own. Ironwood shrugged and took a sip. He grimaced, pulled out a flask and started to pour its contents into the mug.

"Unless she can come up with a better idea, I don't think she has a reason to be mad," he said. He took a sip, found it more to his liking, and put the flask away. "Speaking of, do you believe you have any acceptable candidates for the procedure?" Ozpin shook his head.

"We have a great many talented young ladies at this school. Narrowing it down to just one candidate will be difficult." Ironwood rubbed his chin.

"If that's the case, perhaps we could use my candidate." Ozpin narrowed his eyes.

"I do not think giving such powers to a Schnee would be wise."

"Winter is a capable soldier, and-"

"And a Schnee. I need not remind you how the current Schnee family feels about the Faunus. Someone like that is unfit for that power." Ironwood scowled.

"I have known the Schnee's my entire life. Winter is different from the rest of her family. She is more like Nick then she is her father." Ozpin stared at him, his gaze unwavering.

"Until she actual does something to back up that claim, I will not consider her fit, and I am sure Glynda and Qrow will agree with me." Ironwood sighed.

"Fine. But if what Qrow says is true we must decide soon. We cannot allow that power to fall into her hands." Ozpin linked his fingers together.

"I'm aware." Ironwood gently shook his mug, looking at the drink as it swirled.

"Speaking of Qrow, a little birdy told me that you are teaching his niece." Ozpin nodded.

"Indeed I am."

"How is she?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, how is she on the battlefield? Is she a good tactician? Is she showing any signs yet? She does have the same eyes as her mother, correct?" Ozpin nodded.

"Yes, she has silver eyes like Summer did. However, she hasn't shown any signs yet, I believe that she may be too young for them to start manifesting." Ozpin took a sip from his mug before continuing. "She is a talented fighter, definitely one of if not the most gifted fighters to study here. Glynda tells me that she has a sharp mind and that her strategies in the classroom, while unorthodox, are none the less brilliant."

"Excellent." Ozpin furrowed his brow.

"Excellent?" he asked. Ironwood nodded.

"A living, breathing Silver Eyed Warrior. Ozpin with her at our side we could-"

"No," he said. Ironwood raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"No? Ozpin she-"

"Is a child. I will not have her be a pawn in our war."

"Then what was the point in bringing her in two years early? Why have her train to be a Hunter? Ozpin, we need her." Ozpin stood up, looking into Ironwood's eyes.

"It is our job to protect the Silver Eyed Warrior's, and there is no safer place in Vale then Beacon. And she is a fighter, she would have made it here one way or another. But she will not become a pawn for us. If she ever joins in our fight, it will be by her choosing, not us tricking or forcing her to." Ironwood closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose. He opened his eyes.

"Fine." He turned to leave. He looked over his shoulder as he stood in the doorway. "But just know that they will not be children forever, Ozpin. Sooner or later they will join the fight." Ozpin took his seat and spun the seat around to look out the window. He heard the door close. He sighed.

"I know," he said.

* * *

Pyrrha peeked over the edge of her textbook to look at Jaune as he pretended to study. She felt a blush creep in her cheeks, as she watched him read.

He wasn't someone that many people would consider attractive but she found something about him intriguing. His hair stuck up in the cutest tufts and she couldn't help but notice that his arms were starting to get bigger. She smiled; proud that her training regimen was getting such nice results. And he didn't treat her any different; he didn't care that she was famous, she was just Pyrrha to him. She felt her smile grow and her blush deepen.

"Pyrrha."

"Huh?" She looked over at Ren.

"Do you think we have studied enough? It is getting late." She lowered the book, and saw that Nora was drooling on the book next to Ren. She turned to Jaune, who had looked up from the Z Men comic he was reading.

"What do you think, Jaune?"

"I think Ren's right. We should hit the hay." He stood up and stretched his arms, yawning. Ren gently shook Nora awake and she stood up, leaning against Ren and complaining that her dream of giant sloth's had been ruined.

Pyrrha stood up and gathered up their books. She began to walk through the library but paused when she saw Blake sitting at a computer. She looked over at Jaune before looking back at Blake and walking over to her.

* * *

She stared at the computer monitor, her eyes unblinking as she scrolled through news site. The White Fang in Vacuo, Mistral, and Atlas were still destroying Schnee cargo, setting shops on fire that refused service to Faunus, the usual fare. But the branch in Vale had mostly gone silent, aside from the incident at the docks last month. But that was it. She grit her teeth and exited out of the site, looking up the murder rate in Vale. She drummed her fingers against the desk in agitation as the page loaded.

She rested her hand against her chin as she scrolled through the page. There had been a surge in violent murders, a majority of the victims were human. Her eyes wandered to her hands for a moment, the faces of dozens of Schnee guards flashing in her mind, before she shook her head and looked back at the screen.

Her mind began to wander as she looked up the Faunus arrest rate in Vale.

The room was dark, the only light coming from the moonlight filtering into the room. The seat was metal, and cold. Ozpin sat across from her, his hands resting on the metal table between them. He picked up a mug from the table as he looked at her.

"Well this has certainly been an interesting week," he said. Blake said nothing as Ozpin took a sip from his mug. He brought the mug back down to the table. "First one of my students disappears for several days only to reappear, having stopped an attempted robbery by the White Fang." He smiled at her. "I'm sure after such an exciting time you just want to get back to your dorm and have a nice nap. But I think we need to have a little talk."

"O-Of course," she said.

"As you know, to be completely accepted into Beacon Academy one has to survive my rigorous entrance exam. I also require transcripts from a Combat School, although I am willing to overlook the transcripts for exceptionally skilled applicants." He leaned forward. "You are one of those applicants. No transcripts, and you managed to not only survive the exam, but walk out of it unharmed and unfazed by what you saw." Blake looked away from Ozpin, his gaze unsettling her.

"I grew up outside the kingdom's; its fight or die out there with the Grimm and raiders."

"I'm aware. And I am quite proud that my school is willing to accept anyone despite their walk of life. Rich, poor, human." His eyes flickered to her bow. "Faunus," he said. Blake narrowed her eyes. "Might I ask why you find it necessary to hide your Faunus heritage?" he asked.

"You may be accepting of my people, but the humans who go here certainly don't. And I refuse to be treated any different because of who I am."

"So you're solution is to hide who you are?"

"Until your kind starts treating us like equals, and stop using us as a scapegoat for your problems, then yes."

"We are making strides Blake." She scoffed.

"Well your kind need to start making larger strides, Professor. I want to be seen for who I am, not what I am." Ozpin narrowed his eyes.

"And what are you Blake?"

"I- I don't understand what you're asking." He leaned forward, his eyes on the arm sleeve on her left arm.

"What I am asking, Blake, is how did you know the White Fang was going to be there?" Her eyes widened and she shook her head.

"I didn't know they were going to be there." She started to rub her left arm. Ozpin narrowed his eyes. "I was trying to help a friend out and they just happened to show up. I was in the wrong place at the right time." Ozpin chuckled.

"You wouldn't have been the first to be in a situation like that. But I do find it quite curious that you are the only Belladonna I could find." She cocked her head to the side.

"I'm sorry?"

"Belladonna. An uncommon surname, and after doing a little digging to learn more about one of my more talented students, I found that she had no relatives. Almost as if the name was made up." He leaned forward.

"That attack at the shipyard was not an isolated incident, and your hostilities towards certain human students here has been noticed. I may be your Headmaster but I am also a Huntsmen, and it is my job to protect this world from the forces- human, Faunus, or Grimm- that wish to destroy it." He looked into her eyes. She struggled to not squirm in her seat.

"Are you absolutely sure there is nothing else you want to tell me, Blake?" She shook her head. "I see," he said.

He stood up, leaning on his cane for support.

"Starting tonight you will be placed on academic probation. Do try and not make it a habit to skip classes for days at a time, Ms. Hōzuki." Blake stared at him as he walked to the door, her mouth agape in shock. He looked back at her as he opened the door. "If you ever need someone to talk to, my staff and I are more than willing to listen." He nodded at her and left the room. She sat there in silence and looked down at her hands.

"Blake?" She looked away from the computer screen and at the owner of the voice. Pyrrha was hunched over next to her, her face at eye level with Blake. She was carrying a large stack of books.

"What?" Blake asked. Pyrrha straightened up before saying

"I asked if you were willing to help me with something personal." Blake sighed, exited out of the site, and turned in the seat so she was facing Pyrrha.

"Sure, what is it?" Pyrrha smiled, before looking around. Once satisfied that no one was around she leaned in towards Blake.

"How do you get a boy to like you?" Blake looked at her, her expression neutral.

"Aren't you a celebrity?" The smile disappeared.

"Well, yes but I want him to like me for who I am, not what I am," she said. Blake chortled, she knew the feeling. She rubbed the side of her face, and looked away from Pyrrha.

"Look, I appreciate you coming to me for this but I don't have the best experience with men." Pyrrha nodded her head in understanding.

"Do you have more experience with girls? Is there a difference between wooing a boy and girl?" Blake felt heat creep into her cheeks.

"Uhhh, I wouldn't assume there would be. I-I wouldn't know, I haven't been with a girl yet." Pyrrha put her hand to her lips, a giggle escaping her lips.

"I'm sorry, it's just the way you said that I thought you meant you had only been with girls." Blake scratched the back of her head.

"I've only been with one person, and…" she looked at Pyrrha. "It didn't end well between us." She stood up, turning her back to Pyrrha. She wrapped her arms around her chest. "Look, I have to go. Sorry I wasn't more help." She walked away and heard Pyrrha shout

"Okay Blake! I appreciate that you were willing to help me!" Blake shoved past some students and exited the library.

The moon was hidden behind the clouds, and the air was thick with humidity as Blake walked through the campus. Streetlights were on, and a few students were out and about. Blake made a beeline for the dorms; Yang should be passed out, and Ruby and Penny would probably be out getting a late snack or something else. And Weiss was probably on her way to the library to get some studying done. Blake would probably have the room moderately to herself for a few hours.

Adam. Where did it all go wrong? She sighed as she walked, and put her hands in her pockets. She missed him; despite how much he yelled at her, how much he hurt her, she had still loved him. He had such a fire in him, and was so determined to help their people.

She clenched her teeth and shook her head. He wasn't the same man anymore, the man she had loved was gone, and there was no way to get him back. The faces of the Schnee guard's flashed into her mind again. And she wasn't the same woman anymore. She looked up at the sky, the moon was a comforting sight and she hated how cloudy it got at night during the summers. She stopped and stared up at the sky, her hands slipping out of her pockets. She rubbed her left arm and sighed.

She walked through the doors of the dorm building, and made a bee line for the elevator. She tuned out the sounds of multiple students as they laughed and talked in the lobby. She pressed the button and tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the elevator to come down. A flood of people shoved past her and went into the lobby. She glowered at them before entering and pressing the button for the fifth floor.

She hated the music that played in the elevator and stared up at the ceiling, counting the tiles as the elevator ascended. The door opened and she stepped out, walking down the hallway. She stopped in front of her door and pulled out her scroll, and opened the door.

She was not prepared for the sight that greeted her. Weiss was sitting in a chair in the middle of the room, one leg resting over the other, her back ruler straight. She stared at Blake as she stepped into the room. Yang was laying on her bed, struggling to stay awake. Penny and Ruby were on their bed, chewing on slices of pizza. A game board, dice, game pieces, and cards were scattered all over the floor.

"Hello Blake," Weiss said, standing up from the chair. Blake closed the door and leaned against it.

"What are you doing here?" Blake asked.

"You and I need to have a talk," Weiss said. She pointed her finger at Blake. "You have been acting more quiet, moody, and anti-social than normal and I'm worried about you." She lowered her finger and stepped towards Blake. "You made a promise to me Blake, and I want you to tell me what's bothering you." Weiss' face softened. "Is it something I did?"

"No, it isn't you Weiss," she said. Blake could feel the eyes staring at her as she took a breath to steady herself. "I just…" she took another breath. "I don't understand how you are all so calm."

Ruby leapt down from her bed and Yang fell to the floor before stumbling to her feet. Penny continued to eat her pizza and watch them.

"Are you still thinking about the White Fang?"

"Of course I am! And that Torchwick scumbag they're working with." She looked at them. "Something huge is going on if the White Fang are willing to work alongside a human, especially one like him. And no one is doing a Gods damn thing about them!"

"Psssh, stops worrying Blake. Da police got it covered," she slurred. Blake furrowed her brow.

"The police don't care about this, they're just as quick to blame some random Faunus for the White Fang's crimes. We've got to do something!" Weiss stepped forward.

"Blake, we're not ready to take on an entire terrorist organization. We're students, we have to leave this to the professionals."

"And when will we be ready Weiss? Four years from now? You expect the White Fang to just sit around and do nothing for that long?" Blake clenched her hands into fists. "They are getting ready for something huge right now and we're just standing around here doing nothing! They don't care if we're ready or not, they're going to do something, and soon." Weiss sighed, and rested her hands on her hips. Ruby stepped forward.

"If it will make you feel any better, we can try and hunt down the White Fang and find out what they're doing." She said. Blake smiled, and nodded her head.

"Hold up," Weiss said. She looked at Blake. "You're on academic probation, we can't just sneak out like last time."

"The Summer Solstice is coming up if my memory is correct." Penny said. They looked at her before Ruby said

"Oh yeah, that's in just a few days. We can head out into Vale then." Yang pumped a fist into the air before collapsing onto her bed.

"Wooh!" Weiss looked at Blake before sighing and nodding her head.

"Fine, if it will make you feel better I guess we can try and find them." Blake smiled. Ruby pat down her dress, groaned, and looked up at Penny.

"Is my scroll up there?" Penny quickly looked over the bed. She gave a small salute.

"Negative!" she beamed. Ruby groaned and bolted out the door.

"I'll be back!" she shouted over her shoulder.

* * *

She couldn't believe that she had left her scroll in the lobby when she had gotten the pizza. She hoped it hadn't gotten stolen. She rounded the corner and slammed into someone. She collapsed to the floor and stammered out an apology. A hand appeared in front of her and she looked up at the person she had crashed into. She was a friendly looking girl with brown skin and mint green hair. Ruby took her hand and the girl pulled her to her feet.

"It's fine, just be a little more careful, okay?"

"I will," Ruby said with a laugh. "I'm Ruby. Are you guys new here? I haven't seen you before."

"We're exchange students from Haven." A female voice said. Ruby looked over the girl's shoulder to look at her teammates.

Behind her stood a tall man with gray hair, a short girl with black pigtails, and-

Orange eyes. Ruby stared at the woman, narrowing her eyes as she looked at her. The woman glared back. Ruby looked back to the woman she had run into.

"Well I hope you guys like it here in Beacon! I'm sure we're really different than Haven. Oh, but exchange students have their own dorms." The girl with pigtails made several motions with her hands.

"Uhhh."

"She said that we must have gotten turned around."

"Oh! Yeah that happens to you new students all the time. You guys are east of here? I think?" The gray haired man and pigtailed girl walked past her. The woman with orange eyes trailed her hand over Ruby's arm.

"Thank you, I'm sure we'll find our way." The woman walked off and the green haired girl followed. Ruby watched them go before she started to head to the elevator.

And that's it. Let me know what you think!


	17. A Minor Hiccup

**And here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it!**

He slid down the bench as Port went on about some stupid shit he didn't care about. Weiss was staring ahead, her chin resting in her hand and she looked incredibly bored. That dark haired bitch was sitting next to her, though she seemed to be focused on something else.

Cardin grinned as he took his place next to her.

"So Weiss, babe, I was thinkin' you and me get dinner over in Vale and see the new Spruce Willis movie; I already bought the tickets so you don't have to worry about paying." He rested his hands behind his head, and looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

She was still looking forward, like she hadn't even heard him. He lowered his arms back down to his sides. He looked down at her work space and saw her ridiculously huge binder laid out in front of her.

"Okay? Well, if that isn't your thing how about we go study instead?" She still didn't say anything. He saw the blonde bimbo look over at him, a scowl appearing on her face. He sneered and turned on the bench so he was facing Weiss. "Are you listening to me?"

The bell rang and Weiss stood up with a small smile. She closed her binder and put it in her bag.

"No, no, no, yes, and if you ever call me babe again I will freeze you in a block of ice." She left, and the blonde bimbo narrowed her eyes at him before pointing at her eyes with two fingers before pointing them at him. He rolled his eyes and stood up, leaving the classroom.

Weiss would come around eventually, he just had to be persistent.

* * *

Blake sat on her bed as Ruby wrote in a small notebook. It was night now and the window was wide open, allowing a summer breeze to blow through the room. Ruby and Penny sat on Weiss' bed and Yang leaned against the bed frame, her arms crossed. Ruby pursed her lips before gently nodding her head. She closed the notebook and looked at her teammates.

"All right, I've got a game plan for tomorrow." She motioned to herself and Penny.

"Penny and I will be asking around Vale about any Dust robberies that have been happening recently. I ran into Torchwick months ago while he was trying to rob a Dust store, and I'm sure that that and the White Fang's robberies are connected." Penny smiled as Ruby pointed at Blake.

"The White Fang lost a lot of people when you and Weiss fought them at the docks. Try and see if they're recruiting and find out where that is. Maybe you can find out what they're planning while you're there?" Blake nodded, a few locations already coming to mind. Ruby turned to Weiss, who was sitting at her desk.

"Weiss, does your family have a headquarters here in Vale?" Weiss thought about it for a moment.

"I believe so, yes."

"I want you to go there and check the records for anything weird." Weiss grinned.

"That's actually rather clever, nice thinking Ruby." She said. Ruby smiled back.

"Thanks." She looked at Yang.

"You remember that club you took me to so you could ask about that lady you were looking for?" Yang nodded.

"Yeah, the owner's got an ear in every part of Vale. If the White Fang are up to something, then he's sure to know about it."

"Great, I want you to give him a visit and try and learn what you can."

"Sounds fun!" A male voice said. They all looked at the window and Ruby let out a shriek and jumped off the bed. Sun was hanging upside down from the windowsill by his tail.

"Who the hell are you?" Yang said stepping forward. He flipped around and landed on the bookcase, squatting on it. He looked up at Blake.

"You didn't tell your friends about me Blake?" She saw her teammates look at her, confusion on their faces. She shrugged her shoulders.

"This is Sun. I stayed with him and his boyfriend when I ran away." She looked over at Sun. "Where is Neptune anyway? And why are you here?" Sun sat on the bookcase, his legs dangling off the edge.

"He's down in the lobby. We wanted to see what kinda rooms you Hunters lived in, and you were the only ones with an open window." He hopped down. "But if you are going after the Fang, we want in." Weiss cocked her head to the side.

"Why? This is going to be dangerous, do you honestly think you can keep up with us?" Sun laughed.

"Of course we can; Neptune and I have traveled all over Remnant, there's nothing we can't beat. And those Fang lunatics are a bunch of freaks; holier than thou 'all humans are bad' assholes. Like being jerks to humans will make them want treat us like equals." Blake sighed and looked at Ruby. She appeared deep in thought.

"There is safety in numbers…" she mumbled. She looked at Sun. "Alright, you and Neptune can come with us." Sun did a little jump, a smile on his face.

"Awesome! I'll go get him!" He ran out of the room, leaving the door open. Weiss looked at Ruby.

"Why are you letting them come?"

"Blake and Yang could use the backup; that club is in a really shady part of town and the White Fang may be looking for Blake for what she did at the docks." Weiss huffed and crossed her arms.

"Going in a group is the most logical way to complete our missions," Penny said. Ruby nodded her head.

"Penny's right." Weiss sighed but said nothing. Sun appeared a second later, pulling Neptune into the room. She saw Yang look him over before looking at Sun and nodding her head in approval. Ruby tapped her finger against her lip.

"Okay, Sun you go with Blake, since you're the only other Faunus in the group, and Neptune you go with Yang." Sun gave Blake a thumbs up and a smile as Neptune flashed Yang a set of gun hands. Ruby turned to Weiss. "So do you have someone to go with you?" Weiss made a face.

"Why would I need someone to go with me?" She asked.

"Well I mean, you're the only one without a partner."

"Your chances of successfully completing your task increases greatly with a partner," Penny said. Weiss exhaled through her nose and rolled her eyes before she pulled out her scroll, dialing a number.

"Fine. I know someone in Vale that can help." She held up the scroll to her ear. Blake heard it ring a few times before a gruff voice picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hi Bruce, its Weiss." Blake saw Ruby and Yang look at each other in confusion before looking back at Weiss.

"I know, I have caller ID. What do you want?"

"My friends and I are heading into Vale tomorrow. We plan on tracking down the White Fang." Blake heard Bruce sigh in annoyance.

"And you want me to help?" A smile crept up Weiss' face.

"I would. Meet me at the SDC headquarters in the morning."

"Fine. See you then." He hung up. Weiss pocketed her scroll.

"So who's Bruce?" Yang asked.

"A friend I made while looking for Blake." A mischievous smile appeared on Yang's face.

"That so? He cute?" Weiss grimaced.

"Eww no! He's old enough to be my grandfather." Yang laughed as Weiss pouted. She saw Neptune look around the room.

"So is it cool if we crash here tonight?" Weiss vehemently shook her head no but Yang only smiled and Ruby nodded her head.

"Of course! That way we can get started together!" Blake stifled a giggle at the horrified expression on Weiss' face.

* * *

The Schnee Dust Company Vale Headquarters was a gigantic building, a towering skyscraper made of white steel and blue glass. Her grandfather's logo gleamed high above her, the sharp snowflake glittering in all of its silver glory. She allowed a smile as she looked at the building, her families name written in swirling silver above the entrance. Men and women walked in and out of the building, talking on their scrolls, their uniforms pristine and white.

He stuck out like a sore thumb leaning up against the white building in his black leather jacket and dark clothes. He had his arms crossed and he looked bored. She walked up to him and he looked over at her. The light from the rising sun reflected off the window and cast strange colors over his face.

"I know the White Fang have gotten really crazy these last few years, but attacking the SDC headquarters is pretty batshit." Weiss looked at him strangely; was that a joke? She rested her hand on her hip as she said

"The White Fang aren't attacking here, we're just looking for information." He furrowed his brow.

"We're trying to learn about the White Fang, in a Schnee building?" She shook her head.

"We're going to lean what the White Fang are doing. Back home in Atlas they would just destroy cargo shipments. The thugs we took care of at the docks were trying to steal that Dust. We're going to look for any other irregularities to see if there is a pattern." He uncrossed his arms.

"And you need my help, why?"

"My friends are searching the rest of the city for the White Fang. We're their back up encase they find them." He chuckled, and flashed her a smile, his lips curling over his sharp teeth.

"You kids are gonna be the death of me." She smiled back before turning around and entering the building. Bruce followed her as they walked through the entrance. The room was cavernous and everything was white; the couches off to the side, the tables in between the couches. The receptionist's desk and the wall it was up against. Water fountains flanked the blue carpet that they walked on as Weiss strode towards the desk, the gurgling water calming her. The receptionist had dark hair pulled back into a bun. She looked up from her computer and said

"Welcome to the Vale branch of the Schnee Dust Company, how may I-" Her mouth fell open before she closed it and smiled; she looked nervous as she looked at Weiss' face. "Ms. Schnee, what can I do for you?" She forced a smile to try and ease the woman.

"I was hoping to access the companies shipping records. I need to look over some things for my father." The woman nodded and started to type into her computer.

"O-of course Ms. Schnee," she said. She looked up from the computer. "The records are kept on the eighth floor, I'll let the staff know you are on your way." Weiss gave her one final smile.

"Thank you," she said. She left the desk and made her way to the elevator. She pressed the button and rested her hands behind her back.

"She seemed nervous," Bruce said. Weiss looked back at him.

"It's not often that the Heiress shows up." Bruce chuckled.

"She looked like she was afraid you were going to fire her on the spot." Weiss looked back at the polished metal of the elevator's doors, her expression falling. She heard a 'ding' and the elevator door opened. Men in white suits poured out, giving Bruce strange looks as they walked past them. She entered the elevator and pressed the button after Bruce took his spot in the back of the elevator. The door closed and she saw her reflection in the polished metal.

Her reflection was pouting as it looked at her. It put its index fingers at the end of her lips and raised her lips up, turning her frown into a smile.

"Don't forget where you are." She said. Weiss scowled and looked at the wall. Her reflection was there as well. Weiss swallowed as her reflection giggled.

"How did you get that scar?" She asked, her eyes darting around as she tried to not look at her reflection. She saw Bruce's reflection as he turned slightly to look at her.

"Pardon?"

"Your scar. How did you get it?" He looked up and exhaled, deep in thought.

"I got it on a mission years ago with my team. We were ambushed by the Grimm and the bastard sliced my face open. Lost my partner on that mission." She saw his reflection look over at her.

"How about you?"

Weiss swallowed again, her throat dry. She saw her reflection start crying, tears running down her face as she raised her hand to her face, her nail razor sharp. Her sobs sent a chill down Weiss' spine as she trailed her finger down her forehead and over her eye, blood starting to run down her face. Her reflection started to sob harder as it trailed its bloody hand down, cutting into her face. She lifted her hand and the sobbing stopped and the tears disappeared but the blood continued to flow. Her reflection smirked at her.

Weiss squeezed her eyes shut, her scar aching. She put her hand over her scar and mumbled

"Fencing accident." Bruce said nothing. She opened her eyes as the elevator came to a stop. The polished metal doors opened and a group of people in white suits stood there waiting.

Weiss forced a smile and exited the elevator, Bruce following after her. She walked down the hallway, her heels clicking against the white tile. The hallway was chilly, which Weiss was thankful for; Vale was nice but she missed the snow and ice of home.

The glass doors slid open and a tall man with graying hair greeted her.

"Ms. Schnee, an honor to meet you," he said, offering his hand. She shook it politely.

"Likewise," she said. He looked over her shoulder at Bruce, disgust appearing in his eyes as he looked back to Weiss.

"I'm the bookkeeper for this branch of the SDC, and I'll be more than happy to help. But I'm going to have to ask that your…companion wait downstairs." Weiss scowled.

"And with all due respect, I'm going to have to insist he come with us." They stared at one another for several moments before the bookkeeper let up. He nodded his head, giving Bruce a dirty look.

"Understood, Ms. Schnee. Follow me." He began to walk to the other end of the room, she followed after him. The room was white and a small desk was situated in the corner. A plastic shrub sat near the door they entered.

He pulled out a set of keys, unlocked a door, and opened it. Inside were walls upon walls of computer hard drives. The room was frigid as Weiss entered and she could see her breath coming out as a pale silver mist.

"We store all our data electronically. Just let me know what you need to know and I'll find it and download it your scroll." The bookkeeper said. She heard Bruce shut the door behind them. She pulled out her scroll and held it in front of her.

"I need the shipping records of all Dust shipments in and out of Vale, and the data of their arrival in the other kingdoms." He took her scroll.

"That's quite the list; it's going to take several hours to get all that information." Weiss smiled at him.

"I'm willing to wait." He nodded and disappeared into the maze of computers. Weiss felt her expression fall and she sighed. She saw Bruce out of the corner of her eye.

"You didn't have to do that," Bruce said. He looked at the hard drives. "I was willing to wait downstairs." She shook her head and turned to look at him.

"You're my friend Bruce, I'm not going to let them treat you any different."

"That's a nice gesture. Would you have done that if we weren't friends?" Weiss scowled and opened her mouth to protest before shutting it and looking away. Would she have? If he had just been some scary looking Faunus on the street would she have given him a second thought?

"I-I don't know," she said. He closed his eyes and sat down, crossing his legs. She sat down as well, staring at the floor as she thought about what he said.

* * *

Penny stood at the curb watching as Ruby talked to the store owner. She waved and smiled at her when Ruby looked over. Ruby waved back before she resumed talking to the store owner.

She rocked back and forth on her heels as Ruby finished talking to the store owner and exited the building. They started to walk down the street; it was midmorning now and it was muggy in the city. Cars drove down the road, the congestion from the morning traffic gone. They walked around people down the crowded sidewalk and came to a stop in front of an outside café.

Ruby looked at the café and Penny heard a gurgling come from Ruby. She rubbed her stomach and gave Penny a sheepish smile.

"Probably not a good idea to skip breakfast this morning," she said.

"Do you need to eat?" Penny asked. Ruby looked at the café's door longingly, chewing on her lip. She shook her head.

"Nah, we can try a couple of more stores before stopping for a break." She started to walk down the sidewalk again and Penny followed her.

"Ruby, what is the White Fang?" Ruby looked back at, disbelief on her face.

"You don't know?" Penny shook her head. "Well, they're a bunch of Faunus that don't like how humans treat them so they blow up buildings and kill people and stuff like that." Penny blinked several times.

"I do not understand." Ruby stopped and turned around.

"Which part?"

"Why would killing people make humans treat them better?" Ruby shrugged.

"I don't know Penny," she said. She put her hands on her hips. "How did you not know about the White Fang? They're always on the news." Penny smiled.

"My father is very protective; he would not let me watch any news about the outside world. He did not want me worrying about it."

"Yeesh," Ruby said before starting to walk again. "That's pretty extreme isn't it?" Penny shook her head as she followed Ruby.

"Not at all, my father loves me very much and just want's what is best for me." They walked in silence for a moment and Penny saw that Ruby was starting to sweat as the muggy humidity got worse. Ruby usually only sweated in her sleep. Penny cocked her head to the side.

"Ruby?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do you sweat in your sleep?"

"I don't know." Penny brought her hand to her chin, rubbing it as she thought.

"What do you dream about?" she asked. Ruby scratched the back of her head and kept looking forward as she said.

"Sometimes I don't dream about anything, it's just dark. Other times it's about my mom, and sometimes I'm stuck doing Beacon's initiation test again."

"That is interesting! I have never dreamed about my father, most of my dreams are about sheep." She heard Ruby start laughing and look back at her.

"Sheep?" Penny smiled at her.

"They are quiet cute," she said.

They rounded a corner and found themselves in a plaza. A crowd of people stood in front of a stage where Mech's and soldiers stood at attention next to a large holographic projection of a stern looking man in a white uniform. The Mech's stood in front of large metal containers. Penny felt a cold sense of dread crawl up her spine and she stood behind Ruby in an attempt to hide herself somewhat.

The man motioned towards the Mech's with his gloved hand

"For years the 130 Model of Atlesian Knight's has been the go to nonhuman security force for Remnant. And they have done an adequate job haven't they?" The crowd voiced their agreement loudly. The man smirked, and motioned towards the containers as he began to pace, his hologram staying in place.

"But adequate is not enough for the Kingdom of Atlas; we're innovators and we will never be satisfied with just that." The containers slowly opened and inside stood tall humanoid Mech's white in color with a large black screen where their face was. Blue LED lights flicked to life and a smiley face took up the screens.

"Please welcome the 200 Model of the Atlesian Knight," he said. The 200 Model's kicked the 130's to the ground, and Penny flinched at the sight. The 200's marched forward and stood at attention alongside their human counterparts as the crowd cheered and clapped.

"The 200 is smarter, sleeker, more durable, and less intimidating then the 130's. They will begin to be deployed across Remnant to combat the Grimm starting this fall. And they will not be alone." The man disappeared and a behemoth of a machine appeared where he had been.

It towered above the crowd and was a dull gray color. The cockpit was tinted and took up a small amount of space in the torso. A Gatling gun was situated on the wrist of each arm, the hands large and clunky looking. A missile launcher sat on each shoulder. Penny began to rub her hand together and looked at Ruby. She was staring at the Mech's in awe, her mouth agape, and a bit of drool running down her chin at the sight.

Those machines were wrong, everything about them was wrong.

"Ruby, we need to go," Penny said. Ruby didn't seem to hear her.

"We are proud to present the Atlesian Paladin; a mobile exo battle-suit to help our human soldier's combat the dangers of the battlefield with minimal harm to themselves. We have the Atlesian Military and the Schnee Dust Company to thank for this invention, and you can expect to see these defending our borders and keeping villages safe in the coming future."

The crowd began to applaud and the man appeared again, smiling. Penny began to back away as the man gave the order

"Right face." The soldiers and the 200'spun on their heels and faced the right, staring straight at her. She saw recognition dawn on the closest soldier's face and she felt her stomach drop when the man turned as well.

His face hardened and he glanced over at the soldier at the front of the column.

"Squad leader," he said.

"Sir!" The soldier shouted.

"Rescue that runaway," he ordered.

"Aye, sir!" He shouted. The hologram disappeared and the soldier looked back at the soldier behind him. He motioned for him to follow him and they exited the column walking towards Ruby and Penny. The crowd looked over at them; fear, and confusion on their faces.

Penny grabbed Ruby's hand and started to sprint in the opposite direction, dragging Ruby along.

"W-wha-! Penny, what are you doing?" Penny tightened her grip as she ran through the road, cars stopping and honking as they ran onto the sidewalk and between two buildings. She didn't dare look back as she heard them shout at her to stop. She could hear Ruby's breathing as they sprinted between the buildings and entered an alleyway, dumpsters lining the walls.

Ruby let go of her hand and she turned to look as Ruby pulled one of the dumpsters into the middle of the alley, blocking it off. She looked back at Penny and started to sprint after her.

The alley ended and they found themselves at another road. Penny didn't stop, sprinting through it and looking back when she got to the sidewalk. Ruby only looked forward as she ran.

Penny gasped when Ruby tripped and came crashing to the pavement. She groaned with pain, and lifted her torso off the ground with shaky arms. Penny's eyes widened as she heard a truck horn blare. She saw terror on Ruby's face as her head snapped to the source of the sound. A big rig was barreling down the road, unable to slow down.

Penny leapt in front of Ruby and threw her hands forward. The truck slammed into her hands, nearly tipping forwards as she stood her ground. She grit her teeth as she felt her feet start to slide and the grill of the truck contort and bend around her hands. She grabbed the ripped metal and pulled down, the metal cutting into her hands. The truck fell back onto the pavement and the driver stared at her in amazement as she let go of the truck's grill and stepped back.

She turned around to look at Ruby. She was staring at her in shock, her silver eyes wide and her mouth agape. Penny offered her hand to her, which Ruby took. She pulled her up and asked

"Are you okay?"

"How did you do that? That truck it should have-" Ruby looked at her hands. There was blood on them. She looked at Penny's hands. Penny closed her hands and rested them against her chest. "Penny, you're hurt." Penny shook her head and looked around, people were starting to stare. And those soldiers wouldn't be stopped by that dumpster for long. She closed her eyes and ran.

"Penny, wait!" Ruby shouted. She heard her follow after her. Penny kept her eyes squeezed shut as she ran between a pair of restaurants. Ruby couldn't know, anyone but her. Penny opened her eyes and came to a stop. It was a dead end, nowhere to hide but a pair of dumpsters. She spun around as Ruby came running up to her. Her breathing was heavy, as she stood in front of her. She jabbed her finger in the direction they had come from.

"What was all that? Why are we running? Why did Ironwood send those soldier's after you? Why aren't you freaking out about your hands?" Penny tucked her arms into her armpits and turned away from Ruby.

"Everything is fine Ruby," she hiccupped. "I don't want to talk about it," she hiccupped.

"Everything isn't fine! Penny you need to talk to me, I can help you!" She exclaimed, stepping towards her. Penny turned her back on her; she couldn't let her see. She felt her body start to shake.

"No! No, no! You wouldn't understand! You can't understand!"

"Let me try! You're my friend Penny, you can trust me with anything." Penny took a breath and turned towards Ruby. Her eyes, they were full of such concern and compassion. She pulled her hands out of her armpits, and looked at the closed palms. She stepped towards her, leaning forward so there faces were close together.

"You promise you're my friend?"

"Cross my heart," she said. Penny leant back and uncurled her fingers and held up her hands. Her palms and her fingers had the skin torn off and blood smeared them. Underneath all the blood was her metal skeleton. She saw realization dawn across Ruby's face, and her eyes flickered from her bloody palms to her face.

Her voice broke as she said,

"Ruby, I'm not a real person."

 **And that's it. Let me know what you think!**


	18. Painting the Town

**Credit to FiercesomestDefenstrator for the name Cerise. Go check them out, they're amazing!**

She opened and closed her hands several times before looking into Ruby's eyes. She swallowed, her throat feeling dry, as she waited on her response. Ruby stared at her, her mouth agape as she stared at her hands. Would she run away? Call her a freak? An abomination? Penny lowered her head and closed her eyes.

"Penny, I… I don't understand," She said. She opened her eyes and looked up. Ruby didn't look angry; she had her head cocked to the side and she looked confused. "How are you…? I mean, I've seen you eat food, you sleep, you shower." She held up her hands, her blood still smeared over them. "You bleed." Penny took a breath.

"I am the first synthetic lifeform capable of generating an aura. My father built me in such a way that I would be indistinguishable from a normal living being." She looked down at her hands, at her metal bones. "But I am not a real person. Not in the sense that you or Yang or Blake or Weiss are." Ruby placed her hands on top of hers, gently grasping them. She looked up. Ruby was smiling at her.

"You think having nuts and bolts in you instead of squishy guts makes you any less real then me?" Penny blinked several times.

"But, but I was built in a laboratory, not born in a hospital, and I do not even know if the soul in my body is real or synthetic. I am not the same as you." Ruby shook her head and tightened her grip on Penny's hands.

"But you are Penny. You're not like those machines we saw back there, you're a person. Look." Ruby let go of her hands and placed a hand over Penny's mechanical heart. Ruby smiled as she felt it beat. She lowered her hand before grabbing Penny's and placing it over her own heart. Penny felt it beating against her hand, the sensation strange. Ruby gently grabbed her hands and held them between them, their fingers interlocking.

"See? We both have hearts, and you said it yourself, you have a soul. It doesn't matter where it came from." Penny's vision began to grow fuzzy and she felt something wet start falling down her face. Ruby smiled at her again. "You're a real person Penny, and you always will be. There's nothing that will ever change that."

Penny let go of Ruby's hands and threw her arms around her, embracing her, crying into her shoulder.

"Oh Ruby, you are the best friend I could ever have!" She heard Ruby wheeze before returning the hug, patting her on the back.

"Head down the street, I'll check down here!" A voice shouted. Penny stiffened and let go of Ruby. Ruby looked down the alley before looking around the dead end they were in, her head swiveling to and fro. Penny looked at the dumpster, and looked over at Ruby. She looked over at the dumpster, then back to her, and nodded.

* * *

The bike's engine roared as Yang sped down the road, Neptune holding onto her stomach for dear life. It was dusk, and the setting sun was completely hidden behind the buildings in the city. After showing up before the club was even open last time, she wanted to arrive when she knew he would be present, and she didn't want any of his thugs giving him a heads up and him not showing up.

The streetlights slowly went away and the sun completely disappeared. The poorer parts of Vale couldn't afford streetlights, most of that money going to the richer, safer, and easier to defend parts of the city. She took a turn and slowed down before coming to a halt.

They were parked in front of a nightclub, neon lights flashing, and a long line of people stretching out the door. Loud, bassy music could be heard even from outside.

She kicked in the brake, killed the engine, and took off her helmet, shaking out her hair. She got off the bike and started to walk up the stairs. She looked back at the bike and saw Neptune still sitting there; he look petrified, his body rigid and his legs clinging to the sides.

"We're here, aren't ya coming?" She asked. Neptune looked over at her before scrambling off the bike, patting down his clothes.

"Yeah. But where's 'here'? I thought you said we were visiting an informant, not a club? And could you drive a bit slower next time?" She rolled her eyes, as she started to climb the stairs again.

"The informant runs the club," she said. She walked past the bouncer, ignoring the angry people shouting about how she got to get in without waiting. The music grew louder and louder as she neared the doors. With a grin she opened them, the music washing over her in all its bass glory.

It looked the same as before; the flashing red and white lights, the bear costumed dj, the four crystal pillars with naked… oh that was different. She looked back at Neptune and motioned to the pillars, laughing as she saw him start to blush. There were men on two of the pillars, and women on the other two. She loved the sight of both, but unfortunately, she had business to attend to. She grabbed Neptune and pulled him close so he could hear her over the music.

"Go have some fun, this won't take very long," she shouted. He gave her a grin and thumbs up before heading to the dance floor. She looked over at the bar and sure enough, Junior was there. He had a martini in hand and was eyeing the crowd as they danced. The Red and White Gothic Lolita's from before were sitting next to him. She walked over to the bar and sat down next to him, he was too focused on the crowd below to notice her.

The bartender was different from before. She motioned him over and ordered a strawberry sunrise. She spun in her seat so she was facing Junior, resting her arm on the counter top. She grinned.

"Hey Junior!" She saw the color drain from his face and he spun around, facing her.

"S-sweet cheeks?" He stammered out. The bartender gave her her drink. She took a sip, staring at him over the rim of the glass. She put the drink back down on the counter, licking her lips.

"The one and only," she said. He swallowed, and rested his hands over his crotch.

"Why are you here?"

"Need your help with something. And don't worry, I'm not gonna trash this place again." She winked at him. "At least I probably won't." He grimaced.

* * *

She ran her hand over the markings on the wall; three white claw marks. She peeked around the corner and saw two Faunus; a dog and a lizard, talking to a parrot Faunus. He nodded his head at them and opened the door for them. Blake grinned; it had taken most of the day but she had managed to track them down. She looked back at Sun. He had his arms crossed and was watching her.

"This is the place," she said. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Ya sure? We've been searching for them all day, and a couple of other places had th-" He shut his mouth as she glared at him. He threw up his hands. "Alright, I'll take your word for it."

Blake undid her bow and they walked around the corner and over to the Parrot. He eyed them wearily.

"From shadows?" He asked.

"We reclaim our destiny." Blake answered.

"We set?"

"Our people free." He nodded his approval and opened the door. Blake entered and Sun followed after her. They walked down a dark hallway, the lizard and dog from before ahead of them.

"How'd you know the password?" Sun asked. Blake shrugged.

"I heard the people before us say it."

"Man, you must have really awesome hearing." He looked at her ears. "Oh, duh. Two sets of ears." The dog and lizard opened a door at the end of the hallway and the lizard held it open for them.

They entered a huge warehouse filled with Faunus. White Fang members stood off to the side, clad in their white jackets and Grimm masks. She and Sun walked through the crowd, getting closer to the stage, where a figure was pacing back and forth. Blake shoved past a deer Faunus, Sun taking the spot next to her. Blake sucked in a breath, her blood turning to ice as she looked up at the stage.

He stood upon the stage, pacing back and forth, staring out at the crowd. A giant of a man stood behind him, his hands resting behind his back, and a Grimm mask covering the entirety of his face. His sleeve hand been ripped off and his muscular arms were covered in tattoos, and the White Fang crest was branded on his arm. Cerise; a bloodthirsty psycho who Blake had detested when she had to work with him. A giant White Fang flag hung vertically at the back of the stage.

Adam came to a stop and faced the crowd. Blake began to shake and placed her hand on her cheek, slowly backing up. She bumped into the person behind her and they shoved her forward.

"Watch where you're going," they growled. Blake looked back at them and nodded. Sun looked at her.

"What's wrong?" She shook her head; she couldn't tell him, she couldn't let them know what she had done before, what she was before.

"Nothing," she said. Sun opened his mouth to protest but shut it and looked back up at the stage as Adam began to talk.

"I would like to thank you all for coming tonight," he began. "You are all brave to come here, to start a new way of life. Supreme Leader Khan would call you insane to join me. That you are throwing your lives away for a lost cause." He sneered.

"Supreme Leader Khan has grown weak, and complacent. Like Leader Ghira before them." Blake scowled. "What has he accomplished? Nothing! The Schnee's are still breathing, they are still making money off the forced labor of our people!"

"Yeah!" The crowd yelled.

"The humans still treat us like scum! They are not afraid of us, they pretend that things have gotten better between us but it hasn't! They refuse to serve us in stores!"

"Yeah!"

"They call us Grimm worshippers for believing in our own sacred gods! For not being sheep to the Brothers Church or the Followers of Dust!"

"Yeah!"

"They arrest us and for no other crime then being born a Faunus!"

"Yeah!"

"The humans get away with killing us whenever they want! Calling our people whatever they want! Rapists! Criminals! Insane animals! That's all we are to them!"

"Yeah!"

He threw off his jacket, the White Fang emblem burned onto his chest. He pointed at it as the crowd cheered.

"We will make this mean something again! We will make the humans quiver in fear when they see it! We will began another Faunus Revolution, and this time, the humans will be the ones treated like vermin!" He ripped off his mask, his eyes full of fiery passion. "This is the face of your new Supreme Leader! I will lead the White Fang to glory! And together we will reclaim our people's future!" The warehouse erupted in applause and cheers. Blake looked over at Sun; his face was drawn tight as he glared at Adam.

The crowd cheered for several moments and Blake did her best to blend into the crowd as Adam's eyes swept over. She inhaled sharply as his eyes lingered over her part of the crowd. He seemed to narrow his eyes before he resumed looking at the rest of the crowd. Blake exhaled.

Adam put his mask and jacket back on as the crowd's cheering died down.

"But unfortunately, we cannot do this alone. With Leader Khan no longer providing us with supplies or funds we have turned to a different source. I will let Cerise introduce you to him." Adam skulked off and Cerise took center stage.

"Allow me to introduce you to one of our benefactors."

A man with orange hair and a white coat took the stage, a short woman with pink, brown, and white hair trailed him, a frilly pink umbrella slung over her shoulder. The crowd began to boo and jeer as Torchwick did a bow. The woman gave an innocent smile and waved at the crowd.

"Thank you, thank you; your hatred gives me life."

"Why is there a human here?" A girl in the crowd shouted.

"Glad you asked my deer," he said with a smile. "Neo, if you would." The woman winked at the crowd before her skin flaked off, like scales. Her skin was now pink and her eyes were white. She winked again and the pink skin flaked off and turned brown, her eyes pink. She gave a smirk and her skin flaked off again and returned to the pale white she had started with, one eye pink, and the other brown.

"My dear daughter Neo was born with a condition that most humans find horrible in a child; she was born a Faunus." The crowds jeering died down as Torchwick began to walk around the stage, twirling his cane. "I know firsthand how horrible the humans treat you Faunus. My poor little Neo would come home from school, distraught over how the dirty humans had made fun of her." He stopped and looked over at Neo. "And what did I teach you to do to those creatons who hurt you?"

Neo grinned, her lips curling over her teeth, and ran her thumb over her throat. Blake felt a chill as she looked at the petite woman; something about her was wrong, very, very wrong.

Torchwick turned to the crowd.

"You see, we actually have a lot in common. I may be a human but I have no love for my kin, and I want to see the current establishment taken down just as much as you do." He snapped his fingers. The flag fell to the floor and the audience gasped. A giant Mech armed to the teeth with machine guns and missiles had been hidden behind it. Torchwick pointed at it with his cane. "And this is how I plan on doing it."

"What is that thing?" Sun whispered.

"I have no idea. Where did he get it?" She whispered back.

Torchwick began to hum as he skipped over to the Mech, rapping his cane against it several times before he stopped and leaned against its leg.

"Some of you might have seen this earlier today; it's the latest piece of tech out of Atlas. Still being developed, I might add. Our benefactors managed to snag us some and with them, we will be able bring about your glorious Revolution." He smirked. "Your Siblings in the White Fang have already started to move to our new headquarters in the southeast, and those of you that join our noble cause will be joining them down there. And I will be providing you with not only these." He motioned to the Mech. "But whatever else Atlas, or Vale, or any of the other dirty human Kingdoms think up to keep the scary creatures of the night away."

"So how 'bout it? You ready to join us?" The crowd erupted into cheers, chanting Adam's name, and the White Fang motto. Torchwick pulled out a cigar and lit it as Cerise took the center of the stage again. His voice was booming as he said

"All new recruits, please step forward. We will provide you with your mask, robes, and branding."

The crowd around Blake and Sun surged forward, pushing and shoving past them.

"We need to leave," Blake said out of the corner of her mouth. Sun nodded in agreement and they slowly began to back up, trying to push back against the crowd.

* * *

She was alone. The room was made of mirrors, her reflection visible no matter where she looked. And she was alone. She stood there in that room, uncomfortable as her reflections stared at her. The reflection in front of her smirked.

"Why didn't you give me that autograph Weiss?" The reflection had changed to Violet; her sad eyes staring at Weiss. She squeezed her eyes shut.

"I- I didn't think you really wanted it."

"Bullshit." It was Blake's voice. Weiss spun around, the reflection behind her was Blake now. She was glaring at Weiss, her amber eyes filled with hate and Gambol Shroud slung over her shoulder. Her bow was missing and her cat ears were on full display. She narrowed her eyes. "You didn't give it to her because you hate her." Weiss took a step towards Blake, clutching her hand against her chest.

"No! I don't hate her, I just-"

"Why didn't you help me Weiss?" It was Velvet's voice. She spun around; Violet and Velvet were staring at her. "Why didn't you try to help me when Cardin was assaulting me?" Weiss backed away from them, shaking her head.

"I- I didn't have time to; Blake and Coco were taking care of it." She heard a sloshing sound, like liquid in a bottle, and looked to her left. Coco was there drinking from a bottle. She lowered the bottle with a satisfied 'ahh' and wiped her lips with the back of her hand. She sneered at Weiss.

"Too bad the Grimm didn't kill you during that test. Would have been one less racist asshole for me to deal with." Weiss shook her head vigorously.

"No! I'm not-!"

"Glad to know you only kept me in that room because I saved your life. Real classy." It was Bruce's voice. He stood staring at her, scowling, his arms crossed.

"Bruce, you're my friend, of course I would-"

She heard clapping. She looked around and saw Yang glowering at her, her hair ablaze and her eyes red as she slowly clapped.

"It should have been you that Nevermore ate. You don't deserve to be on a team with Blake or the rest of us." Yang walked over to Blake, wrapping her arm around her shoulder. Weiss' stomach dropped as she looked at them.

The room began to spin, the reflections staying in place as the mirrors spun and spun around her. She felt dizzy and fell to her knees, clutching her head.

"Why didn't you help me?"

"Why did you refuse me?"

"Why do you always need to be saved?"

"Why won't you just die?" She began to cry, and squeezed her eyes shut as the voices chanted over and over again.

Silence.

She opened her eyes, and looked up. She was in a black void; the mirrors were gone and so were the reflections. Blake stood before her, her sword drawn and pointed at her heart. She glared at her.

"We're all just animals are we? Just murderers?" Weiss felt hot tears running down her face.

"Blake, please, I-" She gasped as Blake thrusted forward, Gambol Shroud stabbing through her chest. She felt her body begin to convulse and she could taste copper. She coughed, her blood running down her chin and splattering over Blake's arms. She looked down at her clothes, the crimson spreading across her white jacket. She looked back up and saw her reflection standing in front of her, holding onto Myrtenestar as she pushed it through her chest. Her reflection grinned as it narrowed its eyes.

"You know you deserve this," it said. Weiss tried to answer, her words getting stuck in her throat as she choked on her blood.

Her eyes snapped open, the bright white light from the room hurting her eyes. The book keeper stood looming over her. She blinked and sat up. Bruce was standing off to the side. Her scroll was in the man's hand.

"Ms. Schnee? Are you alright?"

"Yes, sorry, I must have dozed off." She stood up. The book keeper smiled and offered her her scroll.

"Sorry for the wait Ms. Schnee. But you will find all the requested data is on your scroll." She gave him a polite smile and took her scroll, pocketing it.

"Thank you, I'll put a nice word in for you with my father." The man's face lit up before she turned around and left the room. She walked down the white hallway, Bruce tailing her. She stopped in front of the elevator and pressed the button.

"You serious about putting in a good word for him?" He asked. Weiss shook her heard.

"Of course not. That pencil pusher can get fired for all I care." The door opened, empty, and Weiss entered it. Bruce entered after her, a ghost of a smile on his face.

The polished metal doors closed, and Weiss' gaze fell to the floor. The tiles were white, and thankfully, not polished to a mirror like sheen.

"Bruce." She heard his clothes shuffle as he shifted his position.

"What is it?" She closed her eyes and took a breath.

"Why did you save me?" There was silence.

"Didn't we go over this?"

"You told me that you thought you could even the odds. But why help me to begin with? I'm a Schnee, and you knew who I was." She clenched her hands, her nails biting into her palms. "Why help me? Why save a Schnee? Why not let me die?"

"Weiss-" She took a breath, her body trembling slightly.

"I thought about what you said back in that room, Bruce, and you're right; I wouldn't have done anything. I would have just let you get treated like some degenerate. I always thought I was in the right about the Faunus but I'm not!"

"Weiss-"She shook her head, her ponytail whipping around.

"I was wrong! So very, very wrong! I'm a racist! I'm a horrible person, Bruce! Why would you help someone like me!" She choked back a sob, and she felt tears begging to be released.

She felt a firm hand grasp her shoulder.

"Weiss, every Faunus under the sun knows who you and your family are." He paused. "But most of them are too young to remember your grandfather, and when the name Schnee meant something. You remind me of him; the only things I had ever heard of the Schnee Heiress was that she frequently held charity concerts, all the proceeds going to White Fang victims. I helped you fight those men because you were someone worth helping." His grip tightened. "You _were_ a racist Weiss, if you were one now you would have let that man send me downstairs. It takes time to adjust Weiss, you can't just do a complete one eighty on your views."

"But-"

"Quite it." She opened her eyes, her vision wet and blurry, and looked back at him. Concern was on his scarred face. "You're only human Weiss; don't beat yourself over it. And I'm sure your friends would be willing to help you if you start feeling this way again." Weiss sniffled, and nodded.

"Thank you Bruce." He smiled slightly.

"Any time," he said. The elevator door opened and a group of people stood there waiting, most looking bored. Weiss put on a brave face and gave them a smile as she marched out of the elevator.

* * *

She lifted the lid of the dumpster and peeked around. The dead end looked deserted. She climbed out of the dumpster, and absolutely positive that no one was there, she knocked on the lid. Penny lifted it up, took a bandanna peel off her head, and climbed out.

She peeked down the alley, and seeing that it was empty, gave Ruby a thumbs up.

"The cost is clear Ruby!" Ruby gave her a grin and started to walk down the alley, Penny walking alongside her.

"Good thing that soldier was afraid of rats, otherwise he would have found us." They reached the end of the alley and took a right, walking down the sidewalk. It was mid-day now and it was swelteringly hot. Ruby groaned slightly as sweat beaded her brow; she was wearing more gray then black today, she shouldn't be this hot. She glanced at one of the buildings, and came to a stop. It was a café and it had a shaded pavilion. She saw people eating and drinking, laughing and talking, and not sweating their boobs off. Her stomach growled and she looked back at Penny.

"I think it's time we took a break," she said. Penny nodded in agreement and they entered the café. It was brightly lit and smelled of freshly baked bread, and idle chatter filled the air. The furnishing was wood and had a bit of a rustic charm to it that Ruby liked. But most importantly of all, it had air conditioning. The hostess greeted them with a smile as they walked up to the wood podium she stood behind.

"Hello ladies, party of two?"

"Yes ma'am!" Penny said. The woman pulled out two menu's before stepping out from behind her podium.

"All right, follow me." She led them to a small table inside the building and they took their seats, the cushions on the seats well worn. She set the menu's on the table, gave a little bow and said "You're server will be right with you." She left them then.

Ruby leant back in her chair, her arms dangling over the back as she relaxed in the nice, cool, air conditioned air. She looked at Penny. She was looking at the various paintings and knick-knacks that adorned the yellow walls.

"Hey Penny?" Ruby asked. Penny focused her attention on Ruby.

"Yes?"

"Why were those soldier's looking for you? Did you do something back in Atlas?" Penny shook her head, her hair bobbing with the movement.

"Nothing too drastic. I merely ran away from home and came here on my own." Ruby straightened up in her seat.

"You ran away?"

"I did! My father loves me so very much, and I am thankful that he built me but I wanted to see the rest of the world for myself. If I am supposed to be a real person then I want the real person experience."

"I can't really blame you with that kinda logic; being cooped up in a house, not being allowed to know anything about the outside world, you were bound to do this sooner or later." Penny smiled at her.

"I am quite happy that you and your friends are the ones I get to learn how to be a real girl with." Ruby smiled back.

"I am too Penny. Oh, and your father must be a genius if he managed to build you all by yourself."

"Oh he did not build me all by himself; Mr. Ironwood helped. He's like a second father to me." Ruby furrowed her brow and cocked her head to the side.

"The General? Why would he help build you? Do you have a hidden gun for a hand or something?" Penny giggled.

"I do not, but I do have several collapsible swords stored away in my back." Ruby sat up straight; Penny being a robot was cool, her being a robot with awesome hidden weapons in her? Easily the most amazing thing in her life.

"Really? Penny that's amazing! How do they work? How big are they? Do your arms detach into two smaller arms and you wield a bunch at once? Oh! Do you keep a bunch as backups or-" Penny held up a hand and Ruby stopped. She sheepishly rubbed the back of her heard and looked at the carpeted floor.

"The anti-grav swords I wield are connected to my spine by small, nearly invisible wires. I control them that way, and am capable of wielding a multitude of them at once. They are also capable of functioning as a high heat plasma canon, though I must refrain from using that as it drains my internal battery quite a bit." Ruby whistled.

"You really pack a punch." Penny giggled and held up her arms like she was flexing.

"Mr. Ironwood wanted to make sure that I was combat ready."

"Why would you need to know how to fight?"

"Mr. Ironwood says that I will be instrumental in preserving Remnant's peace; to ending the war." Ruby was taken back. War?

"Penny… there isn't a war going on. What are you talking about?" Penny looked at Ruby in confusion.

"That is not what Mr. Ironwood told me. He told me that the people of Remnant were fighting against some woman. And that I would be needed to defeat her." Ruby opened her mouth to respond, caught movement in the corner of her eye, and closed it. Their server walked up to their table, a small notebook and pen in hand.

"Sorry about the wait ladies, what can I get you to drink?"

"Apple juice for me," Penny said.

"Uuuuhhh." Ruby glanced over the drink section. She looked up at the server. "Lemonade for me, please." The server scribbled down their order, smiled, and left to go get it. Penny lifted her menu up and began to look it over. Ruby looked at the menu, not really reading it, as she thought about what Penny said. Remnant was in a time of peace, and had been for decades. Why was an Atlesian General convinced he was at war? And why would all of Remnant be at war with just one woman? She shook her head and sighed; maybe she could think this over with the rest of the team.

* * *

He downed his drink and slammed the empty glass onto the counter top.

"I told ya, the White Fang have gone quiet; I don't know what they're doing." Yang scowled.

"How can you not know? You're supposed to know everything that goes down in Vale." He threw up his hands in exasperation.

"Look sweet cheeks, I told ya all I know. The White Fang in Vale went quiet and aside from that shoot out at the docks, they haven't been doing anything of note." Yang turned away and began to drink her cocktail. Wait, hadn't there been a man with bright orange hair here last year? She lowered her drink back down to the corner.

"What about Roman Torchwick?" she asked. Junior cocked an eyebrow.

"What about him?"

"He was here when I trashed this place wasn't he?" Junior thought about it for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah. I leant him some of my men. He paid upfront in cash. Haven't heard anything about him since then."

"What happened to the men he hired?" Junior shrugged.

"Some of them left and never came back. Others got arrested when they got busted during that Dust robbery back in spring. I would have bailed them out, but most of my money has gone to repairing this place."

"Did you know he's working with the White Fang now?" Junior shook his head.

"I didn't, no." Yang downed the rest of her drink, and placed it down on the counter top, tracing her finger around the rim.

"Any idea why he would be working with them?" Junior scratched his beard as he thought. The Red Gothic Lolita peeked around him.

"Isn't his daughter a Faunus?"

"Yeah, I think I remember hearing about that. Thanks for reminding me Miltiades." The White Gothic Lolita peeked over her sister.

"Didn't Boss Nero get killed by that little lizard?"

"No, Melanie, she killed Nero's son." Miltiades said.

"Might explain why Torchwick went underground for so long; hard to be a Dust trafficker with your clients wanting to kill you." Junior added. Yang cocked an eyebrow.

"That's all really interesting but I don't care. Do you have any idea where I can find him?" Junior shook his head, and motioned for the bartender to refill his glass.

"That's a no sweet cheeks." Yang sighed and left the counter. She walked down the stairway and into the dancing crowd.

It was hot, sweaty, and humid in the crowd as Yang pushed past people dancing and grinding on each other. The music was thunderous on the dance floor and it was dark there as well, the only lights being the flashing red and white strobe lights. She saw a flash of neon blue in the crowd and made a bee line for it. Neptune was busy dancing, sweat dripping down his face, and a crowd of people cheering him on.

Yang stood in the crowd and watched him dance for a while before tapping him on the shoulder. He spun around, and when he saw it was Yang he said something. Yang couldn't hear him over the music and the crowd so she motioned back towards the door. He looked over at it and nodded to show he understood.

They made their way out of the dance floor and climbed up the crystal staircase.

"You find what you came here for?" Neptune shouted. Yang shook her head as she opened the door.

"I didn't. But I think I found out why the White Fang are letting Torchwick work with them." Neptune put his hands in his pockets as they walked down the dark hallway, the music growing quieter the further they went.

"Well that's something at least." Yang nodded in agreement; hopefully the rest of the team was making better progress.

* * *

They struggled to back up as the crowd surged forward all around them.

"Blake, what are we gonna do?" Sun whispered.

"I'm thinking," she said.

Cerise looked over the crowd and Blake flattened her ears as her gaze locked with his. He leapt off the stage, and into the crowd, shoving people out of his way.

"Think faster!" Blake looked around the room, and saw a power box. Everyone but Torchwick would still be able to see them but the chaos caused by the lights going out could be enough of a distraction. She drew Gambol Shroud, aimed, and fired.

Darkness enveloped the room and the crowd screamed and dropped to the floor. Torchwick fumbled around next to the Mech, holding his hands in front of him. Cerise continued to make his way to her, undeterred by the darkness or gun in her hand. She grabbed Sun's hand and sprinted through the crowd, shoving past people as they cowered in fear, making her way to a nearby window.

"Stop standing around and get them!" Cerise screamed. Blake raised her gun and fired at the window, the glass shattering. She let go of Sun's hand and leapt through it, rolling across the hard pavement as she landed. She looked up to see Sun land on his feet. She got to her feet and started to run, sheathing Gambol Shroud. Sun sprinted after her.

"You think we can out run them?" Sun asked. She heard an explosion and looked back. The side of the warehouse had been blown to pieces and the Mech climbed out of the hole.

"Here kitty, kitty, kitty." The voice was thunderously loud and mechanical sounding. But there was no mistaking Torchwick's voice. Sun went pale as the Mech started to move, running after them.

"Oh shit! That's not good!" He yelled. Blake began to sprint faster, willing her legs to move faster and faster. She pulled out her scroll and hit the team icon. It rang for a few seconds before they all picked up.

"Guys! We need backup!" Blake yelled.

"Look out!" Sun tackled her to the ground, and Blake felt a fiery heat splash over her and felt herself and Sun being thrown several meters. Blake groaned and got up; a smoldering crater was all that was left of the sidewalk where Bake had been.

"Blake? Blake what was that? Are you both all right?" It was Ruby. Blake helped Sun to his feet and started to sprint down the road again, Sun close behind her.

"We're fine," Blake said.

"It's that Torchwick guy! The White Fang have some kind of giant robot and he's piloting it!" Sun yelled.

"Where are you guys?" Yang asked. Blake's eyes darted around, looking for any indicator as to where they were. She saw a nearby ramp, a sign indicating it was a highway.

"We're heading towards the highway! We'll try and lose him in the traffic!" Blake said.

"On our way!" Weiss said.

"Hurry!" Sun shouted. Blake pocketed her scroll and ran towards the ramp. She heard Torchwick fire another missile and leapt forward, the explosion launching her ever further.

"How are we gonna lose him?" Sun shouted as they ran up the ramp. Blake could hear the busy traffic as people made their ways home below them, the noise getting louder the higher they went.

"Like this!" Blake leapt over the side of the ramp, her stomach doing flips as she fell. She heard Sun curse before leaping down after her. She landed on top of a car, and she grit her teeth as her aurar absorbed the blow. The car swirved and she heard the driver shout in surprise. She stood up, and saw Sun land on a car near her, the driver honking the horn in surprise. She looked up at the ramp and-

She grimaced and leapt onto the car in front of her as the Mech crashed through the side of the ramp and fell onto the highway, crushing a car as it landed. The Mech began to run after them, crushing cars as it forced its way through the speeding cars.

She drew her weapon and fired several shots at the cockpit before jumping to a nearby car. She heard a mechanical laugh and looked back, fear shooting through her.

The Mech raised its arms as it ran, the Gattling guns on its arms beginning to spin.

* * *

She sped between several cars, forcing her bike to go as fast as it could. Neptune clung to her for dear life, as she weaved in out of the cars. She could see the Mech ahead of them and cars crashing into one another as they tried to get out of its way. She gasped as she saw the Mech raise its arms, the guns on its arms whirling into place. She saw Blake and Sun stare at in fear before leaping to a different car. Yang grit her teeth and shouted

"We need to slow it down!" She felt Neptune let go of her stomach.

"On it!" Neptune shouted. He unslung the assault rifle from around his back and took aim. "May want to cover-"

"Just shoot the fucking thing!" He fired, the noise deafening and causing Yang's ears to ring. Sparks rained down from the Mech as the bullets slammed against it. The top part of the Mech spun around as it continued to run forward.

"Oh shit," Neptune said. The Mech fired at them, bullets ripping through the cars on the highway and causing them to explode.

"Hold on!" Neptune grabbed onto her stomach with one arm, firing at the mech through the flames. Yang scowled and sped forward, weaving out of the bullets way, and driving though a car as it exploded in front of her. The heat washed over them, excruciating and draining her aura. She hit the gas and sped through the fire ball, gasping and swerving out of the way as several cars crashed in front of her. She heard laughter from the mech as the missile launcher on its shoulder aimed at them.

She heard a crack of thunder and the missile launcher flew off the mech. The mech's torso spun around to face the front, and Yang saw Ruby kneeling on a car, Crescent Rose in its sniper form. Penny was on a car near her, several swords appearing to levitate around her. Blake was firing at the mech and Sun had a long red bo staff out. The mech raised its arms, and the guns began to spin. She felt Neptune let go of her and the bike swerve as he leapt off of it and onto the closest car. He jumped from that one to the one in front and vaulted towards the mech, his rifle turning into a trident, the ends crackling with blue electricity.

With a yell he slammed his trident into the mech, burying the prongs into its mechanical hide. The mech began to shake and Neptune was flung around, struggling to keep a grip on his weapon.

"Hold on bro!" Sun yelled. He slapped his hands together, closed his eyes, and a bright, golden version of himself shot forward, leaping from a car and slamming into the mech's cockpit, cracking it. The golden clone disappeared, and the mech grabbed Neptune with its hand, throwing him off. She saw Sun's eyes go wide and he leapt towards Neptune. He grabbed him, and they came crashing to the ground, slamming into the railing. She grit her teeth and sped forward.

* * *

She stopped in front of the railing, looking out as the mech ran towards their ramp. Fires burned across the highway and she could hear police sirens in the distance, a news bulkhead making its way towards the highway as well. She tightened her grip on her sword and turned to Bruce

"Can you hit him with your semblance?" He shook his head.

"Too many people are near him, I could miss and make an even bigger mess out of this." She looked back at the mech, and noticing how little attention Torchwick was paying to what he stepped on, leapt over the railing.

"Weiss!" She heard him yell as she somersaulted through the air. She landed, cars swerving out of the way, and she stared down the mech. Her friends were all busy firing at it, not noticing her. She pulled the trigger, Blue, and slammed her sword into the ground. A trail of ice shot out from her sword and coated the pavement, spider webbing its way forward until it reached the mech. A mechanical yell came out of it as it tripped over the ice, and failing to get its footing again, came tumbling over the side of the highway, tearing a hole in the railing.

Her friends leapt off of the cars they were on and ran over to the railing. Yang rode up and parked her bike. Ruby looked over the edge as Weiss ran over to join them. Ruby looked back at them, and Crescent Rose turned from its sniper form to its scythe form. She heard Bruce came up behind her.

"Yang, Blake, Weiss, you come with me. Penny, you go check on Neptune and Sun. And you," she looked Bruce over. "You go see if you can help anyone that's hurt." Penny gave a salute and Bruce said

"On it." Ruby nodded at them before she looked over the railing again and leapt down.

* * *

She landed with a grunt, a shot of pain going through her knees, and saw her team land beside her. Torchwick's mech towered before them, sparks flying from its multitude of wounds. The Mech began to step towards them, raising its arms, the guns spinning.

"Freezerburn! We need some cover!" She shouted. Yang and Weiss looked at one another and nodded. Weiss slammed her sword into the ground, ice coating the ground, encompassing everything near them. Yang slammed her fists together, her hair lighting up and her eyes turning red. She leapt into the air and slammed both of her fists into the ice. The ice shattered and evaporated, a thick fog rising up.

Ruby motioned with her hands for them to scatter as the mech lowered its arms, its torso swiveling to and fro as it walked forward. She changed her scythe back to its sniper form and raised the scope to her eye. She took aim and fired at the Gatling gun. The shot landed and the gun flew off. Within seconds she took aim and fired at the second Gatling gun, blowing it off as well. The remaining missile launcher took aim and fired. Ruby jumped out of the way of the explosion and shouted

"Checkmate! Deal some damage!"

Weiss and Blake sprang from the mist, stabbing and slashing into mech's legs. Their attacks were perfectly timed, and their attacks flowed into each other's. Weiss jumped into the air, placed a glyph beneath her, and launched herself at the cockpit, stabbing her sword into the glass. The mech's arm grabbed at her and she back flipped off the glyph and landed. The mech's fist came crashing down, aimed at Blake. Weiss threw a glyph below Blake; the glyph launched her from where she was and pulled her over to Weiss. The fist crashed into the ground, and the missile launcher took aim at them. It fired, and Weiss and Blake handspringed out of the way of the explosion. A mechanical laugh filled the air as a second missile launched, aimed at Weiss. Blake shoved Weiss out of the way, and leapt towards the missile, slicing through it soaring through the fireball as it exploded around her. She landed on her feet, her clothes singed, and glared up at the mech. Ruby sprinted forward, turning her weapon into its scythe form as Weiss struggled to her feet.

"Ladybug! Disarm it!" She shouted. With blinding speed Ruby sprinted towards the mech, slashing into its legs with her scythe, before twirling around and sprinting in the other direction, Crescent Rose slashing into the metal. She could hear Blake as she followed her lead, slashing into its legs. The mechs torso spun around to face her and she ducked between its legs as Blake leapt on top of it. She spun around and leapt towards the mechs arm, slicing it off at the elbow as Blake hacked off its missile launcher. The arm and launcher fell to the ground with a crash.

Yang leapt onto the mech, slamming her fist into the cockpit, the glass shattering underneath her blow. The mech grabbed her with its remaining hand and threw her. Yang yelled as she flew through the air and the mech leapt forward, grabbed her, and slammed her into a pillar. It slammed her against the pillar several times, Yang yelling as her head slammed against the concrete. Her aura crackled around her, yellow in color.

"Yang!" Ruby saw her sister open her eyes, they were burning red, and her hair was burning even brighter then before. She grit her teeth and slammed her fists into the hand. It shattered like glass, the metal flying everywhere and Yang fell to the ground. The mech backed up and kicked her. She flew through the air, soaring past them. Blake threw her weapon, a ribbon tied to the end and around her arm, and Yang grabbed it, and landed.

"Bumblebee and White Rose! Take it down!" She commanded. She dropped to a knee and raised the scope up to her eye. Weiss stood next to her and flicked her sword, a glyph appearing at the end of the barrel. She fired, the shot hitting the mech's legs and freezing it in place. She could hear her sister yelling as she ran in a circle as Blake strained to lift her off the ground. She lowered the scope from her eye and saw Yang go flying through the air, aimed at the cockpit. With an animalistic scream she slammed into it, knocking the mech back. She grabbed Torchwick out of the cockpit and tossed him to the ground as the mech collapsed.

He scrambled to his feet and backed away from Yang as she leapt off the mech's wreckage. Yang threw a punch and grunted in surprise when her fist was kicked away. A young woman with a frilly pink umbrella stood between Yang and Torchwick. She gave Yang a smile before kicking her in the knee. Yang crumpled to the floor and glowered at them as Torchwick laughed.

"Thanks Neo." Yang staggered to her feet and punched the girl. She and Torchwick shattered into a million pieces, the sound of glass breaking as they shattered. Yang looked around in confusion and Ruby saw a bulkhead soar off. The fire in Yang's hair died and she collapsed onto the ground.

"Yang!" Ruby shouted, holstering her weapon and running over to her sister. She helped her sit up. "You okay?" There was blood on the back of her head, and her lip was split. She spat a glob of blood before nodding her head.

"Yeah, I've been hit with worse."

"You're gonna need to see Sorrell about your head though." Yang felt the back of her head, and groaned in annoyance when she saw the blood.

"That bastard ruined my hair!" Ruby heard Weiss giggle.

"You're worried about your hair at a time like this?" Yang shrugged and stood up. She stretched her arms, her elbows cracking.

"You guys think we're done here? We still gotta help with the people on the highway." Ruby nodded and Weiss created a staircase of glyph's back up to the highway.

* * *

Neptune groaned in pain as he sat up, Sun's arms wrapped around him. Sirens filled his ears and smoke and fire filled his vision. Penny was crouched down in front of him. She offered her hand, and he took it, struggling to pull Sun up with him. Sun groaned and grabbed his ribs, hissing in pain.

"Ah Dust, I think I might have bruised something." He groaned. Neptune felt his stomach drop; he had gotten hurt saving him. He pulled Sun closer and motioned for Penny to lift up his other side. Sun hissed in pain again as Penny pressed against him.

"Don't worry buddy, we got ya." He said. They made their way towards the police cars as they talked to citizens as emergency workers pried people out of their cars. News reporter were off to the side, talking to cameras. A bat Faunus was helping the emergency workers pull people out of flaming or wrecked wreckage of the cars.

"That's them!" A woman shouted. The reporter spun around and the police looked over at them. Neptune gave them a nervous smile, and waved. "They tried to stop that robot! Them and some girls!" The reporters swarmed them, shoving mic's into their faces.

"What was that machine?"

"Do you know why it was attacking?"

"Where are the girls that you fought with?"

Neptune shoved past them, making his way towards the ambulance.

"All I can tell you is that it was the White Fang that did this." He ignored them as they threw more questions at him, his vision starting to get hazy.

"You're gonna be alright Sun." He said. They reached the emergency responders, who looked them over. "His ribs are hurt, and I got thrown around too." They nodded and helped them into the ambulance. Penny looked at them as they got into the ambulance. She gave them a reassuring smile as the doors closed. Her smile was the last thing he remembered seeing before blacking out, Sun in his arms.


	19. Wilting

He pinched the bridge of his nose as the Council watched him. Ironwood stood in front of his desk; his arms resting behind him. A video feed of the VNN coverage of the White Fang attack on the highway was playing beneath their icons.

"Ozpin we cannot ignore this attack." The Vale Councilwoman said.

"And I do not expect you too. But what you are suggesting is out of line."

"If the White Fang has access to experimental Atlesian tech-" Ozpin stood up, slapping his hands onto his desk.

"And where did the White Fang get that technology? Councilwoman?" The Atlesian Councilwoman glared at him.

"I am having that investigated. Prior to today the Paladin has been top secret; the White Fang must have spies somewhere in our R and D facility." She rested her hands in front of her, her fingers interlocked. "But I would advise you to watch your tongue Ozpin. We understand you are upset but we will not tolerate insubordination." Ozpin sighed and sat down.

"If it is true that Lieutenant Taurus has broken away from the rest of the White Fang and is forming his own cell then you are facing an even larger problem then we initially thought." The Mistral Councilman said.

"Taurus is clearly more dangerous then Khan if he is willing to work alongside humans and he clearly does not care about any Faunus that gets caught in the collateral damage of his attacks." The Vacuo Councilman said. "We know you are opposed to the Vale Councilwoman's idea of enacting a curfew for the Faunus in the city but would you be willing to accept a larger security force, at least in Beacon?" Ozpin's eyes flickered to Ironwood and then to the news feed. It was replaying the interview with the city's saviors. Ruby was nervously talking to the reporter, her teammates and Penny standing behind her. Ozpin smiled.

"That will not be necessary. I need not remind you that it was my students who were able to put an end to the attack."

"Ozpin this is not a joke! We need to ensure that the people of Vale will be safe during the Vytal Festival!" The Vale Councilwoman said.

"And they will be. The Hunters already present in Vale, Ironwood's soldiers, the VPD, and my students are more than enough to keep this city safe. Meeting adjourned." He hung up, and leaned back in his seat. Ironwood cleared his throat.

"Are you sure that is going to be enough?"

"It has to be. I will not allow the other kingdoms to interfere with Vale or my school anymore then they have."

"I see." He started to pace the room. "That girl with the orange hair? Did you know she was here?" Ozpin shook his head.

"I was not aware that Ms. Polendina was here. Last I had heard she was still in Atlas with her… father, is it?" Ironwood nodded.

"She disappeared last month and I've had soldier's looking for her in Atlas. I didn't think she would come here."

"Is it not natural for the caged bird to fly away?" Ironwood sighed.

"She needs to go back home to her father."

"Well that clearly isn't what she wants. I believe that we should let her decide." Ozpin stood up. "At any rate, I need to have a talk with my students. General." Ironwood gave him a nod as he hobbled to the door.

* * *

She put her scroll against the door. Her entire body ached and she was looking forward to getting some sleep. Yang stifled a yawn as Ruby pocketed her scroll. She opened the door, and shrieked.

"Hello to you as well, Ms. Rose," Ozpin said. He was sitting in a chair in between their beds. He stood up and walked towards them.

"Are we in trouble sir?" Weiss asked. Ozpin shook his head.

"Far from it. You should be proud of what you did today. But I'm going to have to have a talk with your leader and Ms. Polendina in my office. Ms. Xiao Long."

"Yeah?"

"I want you to spend the night in the infirmary. Doctor Sorrell will be waiting for you." She heard her sister groan before walking off. Ozpin smiled at her. "Now then, let us be off."

* * *

She fidgeted around as she stood next to Ruby in front of Mr. Ozpin's desk. Mr. Ironwood stood next to him, a scowl on his face.

"Ms. Rose do you know what most students do on their day off?" Ozpin asked.

"Not fight the forces of evil?" Ozpin chuckled.

"That would be accurate, yes. Would you mind me asking why you and your team were out in Vale fighting the White Fang?" Ruby rubbed her arm.

"Blake's been really anxious about them after her run in with them at the docks, and we wanted to learn more about what they were doing to calm her down. We weren't expecting a fight." Ozpin nodded.

"I see," he said. He looked over at Penny. "And how long has Ms. Polendina been staying in your dorm room?" Ruby laughed nervously.

"About a month," she mumbled. Ironwood stepped forward.

"Were you aware that she was a runaway? That she is important back in Atlas?" Ruby shook her head.

"I didn't know until today. And it sounds to me like she was more of a prisoner back there than anything else." Ironwood narrowed his eyes.

"Ms. Rose you-" Ozpin held up his hand and Ironwood backed away. Penny cleared her throat.

"May I speak?"

"Of course you can," Ozpin said. She looked from him to Ironwood, and finally looked to Ruby.

"I love my father very much and I do miss home." She grabbed Ruby's hand, holding it. Ruby blushed. "But I want to stay here. Ruby and her friends are teaching me a lot about the world. Father did not allow that and although I love him I do not want to go back to that." Ironwood's face softened. He sighed and looked away.

"Fine," he said. Ozpin motioned towards the door.

"You are dismissed. If you want to have a less crowded dorm, Ms. Rose, let me know." Ruby shook her head and looked down at the hand Penny was holding.

"Nah, I think we're good. Goodnight Professor!" Ruby turned and began to walk towards the door. Penny followed after her, smiling as Ruby continued to hold her hand.

* * *

Ironwood waited until the door shut behind them before speaking.

"Do you think she knows?"

"It's more than likely."

"Brothers damn it. If word gets out-" Ozpin held up a finger.

"If. If word gets out, James. Penny clearly trusts Ruby enough to let her know something like that. And I do not believe either of them are going to be letting that piece of information become anything other than a secret between them." Ironwood grunted.

"I'm going to trust your judgment on this Ozpin."

"Thank you James." Ozpin turned in his seat to look at Ironwood. "She was your initial candidate for the procedure wasn't she?" Ironwood looked away.

"She was. That was the whole reason she was built."

"And what led to you deciding that Winter would be a better candidate?" Ironwood sighed.

"Penny is too naïve. She wouldn't know what to do with that kind of power and she is a terrible liar; it would be hard to keep their existence hidden with her."

"So you would rather put that power in the hands of a bigot?" Ironwood rounded on him.

"I already told you, she is not like her father. She has been disowned by him in all but name because of her actions. I know Jacques has ruined her family's legacy but she is not like him and you should trust me on this like I trust you." Ozpin stared at him before pushing his glasses up.

"Fine. But I would still rather have someone else as a candidate. Someone that we can all agree on. I know Qrow and Glynda would not approve of her."

"She's the best chance we've got." Ironwood said.

"For now, James, for now."

* * *

Darkness. Her oldest ally and her only friend during the worst parts of her life. As far as she could see, there was only blackness. She began to walk forward, her steps echoing all around her. She didn't know how long she walked for but she just knew she had to keep moving forward.

"Please!" She spun around, drawing her weapon and pointing it at the source of the sound. She gasped and her hand began to tremble, her weapon unsteady in her grip.

She saw herself standing over a human, a SDC emblem on his white uniform. His gun was out of his reach. She thrusted down, her sword stabbing into the man's belly. His body started to spasm, and he grabbed the blade, vainly trying to stop her from pushing the blade any further. He screamed as she pushed the blade deeper and deeper into the man's stomach; the red spreading across his white uniform. The man raised his bloody hand, and pleaded

"Please… I don't want to die." She twisted the blade, and the man screamed again.

Blake fired.

The shot hit her and she and the man froze, cracks beginning to appear all around Blake. The darkness fell apart, shards of blackness raining down on her.

She was in a train car, the lighting poor. She shuddered as she saw herself slit a man's throat; gently caressing his body as he slowly died in her arms. The blood flowed and ran over her hands.

Blake fired.

She stood in a forest now. A woman was tied to a tree, a sign reading 'YOU DID THIS JACQUES' written in red marker sitting in her lap. Blake saw herself standing behind a camera, Adam standing next to her, his shotgun slung over his shoulder. She saw herself smile at him and he smiled back and walked over to the woman. He put the barrel underneath her chin, and she began to kick her feet in a vain attempt to get free. She grimaced as she saw herself grin as the woman began to cry.

"Please! I'll do whatever you want! Just let me go! I have a family; you can't do this to me!" Adam looked back at her.

"What do we want?" he asked. She saw herself motion to the sign. Adam turned back to the woman.

"We want to send a message to your friends the Schnee's." The woman's eyes widened as Adam pulled the trigger.

Blake screamed and fired.

Darkness; her oldest friend.

She stood in the black void, her body shaking and one hand covering her face. She felt tears running down. She heard footsteps and looked behind her.

"No," she breathed.

He was walking towards her, his mask gone and his jacket unbuttoned, his emblem on full display.

"You can't escape Blake." He said. Her left arm began to burn and she grasped it, hissing in pain. Her arm sleeve had burned off and when she raised her hand she saw her own emblem, burning red against her olive skin.

"Blake?" Gods no, anyone but her. She slowly looked over at the voice and saw her. She was staring at Blake's arm in shock; her icy blue eyes wide in fear. She covered up her emblem.

"Weiss, please, I can explain." Weiss shook her head and backed away. "Weiss!" She reached out to her. Weiss drew her sword, scowling at her.

"Stay away from me! I knew I was right about you! About all of you disgusting Faunus! I can't trust any of you!" Blake clutched her hand against her chest.

She screamed as she felt her stomach erupt in pain. She felt a hand grab her chin, pulling her head back. His breath was in her ears, his sword in her stomach. He began to nibble at her neck, trailing kisses down to her shoulder. She could taste blood and she struggled to raise her weapon. She put it against his head and squeezed her eyes shut as she pulled the trigger.

He disappeared in a red mist and Blake collapsed, clutching her stomach. She looked down at the wound; her intestines were slipping out of the hole in her belly and blood was gushing out. Her body began to convulse and her skin felt clammy; black spots appearing in her vision. A pair of white wedges appeared in front of her. She looked up.

Weiss glowered at her.

"Serves you right, you filthy animal." The words sent icicles into her heart. She was starting to change; she couldn't see her go back.

"Weiss…" She coughed, blood filling her mouth, and running down her chin. Weiss grinned wickedly and raised her sword.

"Poor thing. It isn't right to let animals suffer like this." Blake reached out weakly, her hand shaking and smeared in blood.

"Please…I-" Weiss thrusted forward, her blade stabbing through her heart.

She bolted upright, her breathing ragged and her body drenched in sweat. The room was stuffy and moonlight filtered through the window. She saw that Penny and Ruby weren't back yet. She threw off her blanket and silently climbed out of bed.

Weiss was in her bed, her blanket barely covering her. Her mouth hung open and she was drooling; her nightgown contorted. Blake smiled at the uncharacteristic uncouthness from the sleeping heiress. Weiss groaned in her sleep, and Blake stiffened.

"Blake…" She rolled over. "I'm… sorry." She mumbled. Blake's ears flattened against her head. She sighed and turned away.

"So am I," she said. She went to the bathroom.

The water felt cool against her skin, and she let it pool in her cupped hands before splashing it against her face. It felt good as it ran down her neck. She stared down into the sink before she sighed and looked up at her reflection.

There were bags under her amber eyes, and her coal black hair was a mess. Her eyes trailed down from her face and to her left arm. She undid her yukata, and lowered it to look at her arm. The White Fang emblem looked back at her. She ran her hand over it, feeling how scaly it felt against her finger tips, before resting her hands on the sink.

They could never know. They could accept a Faunus but a White Fang member? Out of the question. She shook her head, and looked at her hands; there was too much blood on them. Everything they knew about her was a lie. Even if they did accept her they would never trust her again. And Weiss… all her progress. Gone. Poof. Just like that.

She gripped the edge of the sink.

The faces of everyone she killed flashed in her mind; their eyes as they slowly glossed over, their voices as they slowly fell silent, and the smell as their bowels emptied as they died.

Murderer.

Her grip tightened.

The adrenaline as she got into firefights with SDC guards, the high after a successful mission, the euphoria when he entered her.

Terrorist.

She grit her teeth.

How she had punched Yang when they first met in the woods. How she had refused being her partner because of him. How she had ignored Ruby whenever she asked about book suggestions. How she had hated Weiss, how she had wanted to see her dead. How she had talked of murdering her entire family when with him. How she had wanted to see her get torn apart by a Nevermore.

Animal.

She slammed her fist into the wall, the tile cracking underneath her blow. Her breathing was heavy as she stood there; her body quivering.

She heard Weiss stir in her sleep, and she stepped away from the sink. There was blood on her hand. She shook her throbbing hand, blood sprinkling onto the floor, and sighed. Going to be hard to explain this.

She turned off the faucet, exited the bathroom, and quickly got dressed; she needed to get some fresh air.

* * *

Soft, beautiful music played, filling the black void of her dreams. Her eyes fluttered open and she sat up with a yawn, stretching her arms. She turned off the alarm on her scroll, and rubbed her eyes. She looked over-

Blake was gone.

She got out of bed and looked up at Ruby's bunk. Ruby was sleeping; Penny was sleeping next to her.

"Ruby get up." Ruby groaned in response.

"Five more minutes," she mumbled. Weiss frowned and twirled her finger in the air; a celeste colored glyph appeared beneath Ruby. Ruby's eyes shot open and she jumped out of bed with a yelp. "Cold! Cold! Cold!" She was shivering and wrapped her arms around her torso. Weiss rested her hands on her hips as Ruby rubbed herself. She heard Penny snort in her sleep and roll over.

"Was Blake gone when you got back?"

"What?" Ruby asked, her teeth chattering. Weiss pointed over at Blake's empty bunk. Ruby looked puzzled as she continued to try and warm herself. "She might have been. I wasn't paying attention." Seeming to be warm enough she unwrapped her arms and let them hang at her sides. "Or maybe she got up early to go get some breakfast? Or get a new book at the library?" Weiss looked away.

"Maybe. It's just… she's been acting so strange lately, and I got worried that she might have run away again." Ruby smiled at her.

"Aw, you're worried about her."

"Why wouldn't I be you dolt? She's my teammate." Weiss snapped back.

"It's just sweet Weiss, that's all." Weiss huffed and walked over to the bathroom door.

"Whatever. I'm going to shower, and you need to get-" The words died on her tongue as she opened the door and looked at the bathroom. There were drops of blood on the floor and several tiles on the wall next to the mirror were cracked. Her breath hitched in her throat.

"Blake." She whispered.

"Whatcha say Weiss?" Ruby walked over to Weiss and peeked over her shoulder. "Woah." She said. Ruby looked at her. "Okay, so we should probably be worrying now."

* * *

He exited his aura conditioning class, and rolled his shoulder; it, and the rest of his body, was sore.

"Hey Jauney boy!" Cardin's arm wrapped around his neck, and he playfully rubbed his hair.

"Hey Cardin, what's up?" He managed to say. Cardin let him go and started to walk next to him.

"Nothing much, just thought I would ask you about something."

"Sure, what is it?"

"You're friends with Weiss aren't ya?" Jaune cocked an eyebrow.

"Sorta. Why?" Cardin grinned.

"I was gonna ask you for her number. I'm going to take her to the dance."

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Cardin shrugged.

"I already asked her on a date and she said no. Figured she might respond better on her scroll." Jaune stopped.

"She said no?"

"Yeah. That a problem?"

"Well yeah man. If she said no the first time she probably isn't going to say yes this time."

"Psh, that's quitter talk Jaune. So do you have her number or what?" Cardin pulled out his scroll.

"Yeah. It's eight nine one. Five five five. One two three four." He lied. Cardin grinned as he added the number to his contact list.

"Thanks man! Any girl you have your eye on for the dance?" His thoughts went to Pyrrha and he started to blush. Cardin chuckled. "I take it that's a yes?" Jaune hesitated before nodding. "Nice Jauney boy. Who's the lucky lady?"

"I don't want to say. She's one of my friends and I'm afraid that if I ask her out it'll ruin what we have. Or that she won't like me back. And I don't want to make things awkward between us."

"Is it Ruby?" Cardin asked. Jaune was taken back.

"What? No, she's too young for me." He shrugged and started to walk away.

"Well whoever it is she'll be lucky to have you. Well I gotta get to class. Thanks for the help Jaune!" Jaune waved goodbye to him, and once he was out of sight he frowned. He pulled out his scroll and started to text Ruby, walking towards his next class while doing so.

"Hey Rubes wanted to give you a heads up" It took a few seconds before she responded.

"Sure wut about?"

"Cardin plans on asking Weiss out to the dance. Said she already turned him down but that he wont take no for answer. Just thought Id let ya know."

"O. Ill let Weiss know. Thanks Jaune! Ur the best! :)" Jaune smiled.

"No prob. We still meeting up at the library to discuss combo attack names?"

"Yea! See u then!" Jaune pocketed his scroll and continued to walk towards his next class. His thoughts drifted back to Pyrrha; her beautiful crimson hair, her gorgeous smile, and her vibrant green eyes. The way her face lit up whenever he told a stupid joke; the music that was her laughter. He smiled and felt his cheeks grow warm as he pushed the door to the classroom open.


	20. Extracurricular

"I'm going to look for her," Weiss said as she walked towards the door. Ruby grabbed her hand, and Weiss looked back at her. Worry was in her silver eyes.

"Weiss, hold on a sec." Weiss snatched her hand back.

"Why? Something is wrong with her Ruby, just look at that!" She pointed at the blood and cracked wall. Ruby kept her eyes on her.

"I know that Weiss. But we need to stay calm. It could have been Yang that did that; she gets really angry when her hair gets messed up." Weiss crossed her arms.

"So Yang just came in here before we woke up, saw her hair was a mess, and punched the wall." Ruby rubbed the back of her head.

"Well it sounds stupid when you say it that way." She looked around the room and her eyes rested on the bookshelf between their bunks. "She has her scroll with her." She said.

Weiss went over to her bed and picked up her scroll. She pressed Blake's icon and put it up to her ear.

"It's Blake. Leave a message." Weiss made an annoyed sound and ended the call. She looked over at Ruby.

"Anything?" Weiss shook her head. Ruby rested her hand against her chin.

"Hmmm." A look of realization appeared on her face and she snapped her fingers. "I have a class with her after breakfast. And Yang has one with her before lunch. And we all have a period with her in Glynda's class. If none of us see her there then we can start panicking." Weiss looked back at her scroll, at Blake's picture. She closed her eyes.

"Fine." She said. She turned around and made her way to the bathroom. She closed the door and took off her clothes. She could hear Ruby trying to wake Penny up through the door. She turned on the shower and the cold water shot out. She hated how long it took for the water to warm up here.

Weiss sighed and looked at the blood and then at the cracked tiles. What could be bothering her? Why didn't she talk to her and the others instead of hurting herself? She ran her hand over her scar at the thought.

She checked the water, and yanked her hand back; it was still freezing. She grimaced and saw that her soap was missing. She groaned; today was going to be an ordeal, she could just tell. She went over to the sink, and opened up the mirror. She pulled out her soap and closed the mirror.

Her reflection looked back at her. Her reflection looked over at the wall, and gently shook her head.

"And I thought we had problems." She said. Weiss narrowed her eyes.

"I don't have time for you."

"No need to be rude Weiss. I'm just surprised Blake would do something like that." Her lips curled into a frightening smile. "Maybe she was thinking of us when she punched that wall." Weiss scowled.

"Blake is my friend. She wouldn't do that." Her reflection laughed and Weiss felt her skin crawl.

"Oh that's what she wants you to think. You honestly believe that she's just going to forgive you for everything you've said? Everything you've done? You treat her kind like the scum of Remnant and you expect her to just want to be your friend after she dove through a window just to get away from you? You're a racist Weiss. And she deserves better than you. They all do."

She leaned forward, her nose pressing up against the glass. Her blood was boiling and she struggled to keep her voice down.

"You think I don't know that? You think I don't feel horrible for what I said to Blake? To all the Faunus I've met? That I feel awful for how I almost ruined this entire team? That I hate myself? Is that what you want to hear?" Weiss' breathing was heavy, her breath fogging up the glass. She leaned back; her reflection looked smug as it smiled at her.

"I'm not the one who needed to hear it," she said. Her reflection returned to normal and Weiss was left looking at herself. She turned away from the sink, disgusted, and marched over to the shower. She threw open the shower curtain and stepped into the lukewarm water.

* * *

His eyes slowly opened and he was greeted with the sight of a white ceiling. He groaned as he sat up, his torso sore.

"Take it easy, bro." Sun looked over and saw Neptune standing next to his bed. He looked tired but he was smiling, his eyes full of love.

"You okay?" Sun asked. Neptune nodded.

"I was exhausted after that fight and my aura was drained but other than that I was fine. You, on the other hand, bruised a rib." Sun grimaced; well that wasn't good. He tried to sit up even more but hissed with pain and started coughing, his body shaking, and pain shooting through his body with each cough. Neptune frowned and gently laid a hand on Sun's chest. "I said take it easy." Sun swatted his hand away.

"I'm fine you big worry wort. My aura can fix this." Neptune chortled before leaning forward and placing a kiss on Sun's brow. Sun smiled as Neptune pulled back. "What was that for?" he asked.

"Just my way of saying thanks for saving my ass back there. It could have been a lot worse if you hadn't decided to play hero." Sun winked at him

"Only cause you have an ass worth saving." Neptune laughed, and Sun smiled; he loved the sound of Neptune's laughter. Neptune looked over at the door.

"You want me to steal some pain meds and we ditch this place?" Sun's smile grew.

"Hell yeah bro. I should be fine in a little bit." Neptune leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek before walking away from the bedside and leaving the room.

* * *

"So then it spun around and starts firing at me, and it's causing all the cars to explode as the bullets rip through 'em." Yang made an explosion motion with her hands. There was a twinkle in Nora's eye and she was leaning forward as she listened to her story. Ren was silently listening, drinking his morning tea. Jaune looked awe struck while Pyrrha looked concerned.

"Do you know if those people made it out okay?" Pyrrha asked. Yang held up her hands.

"I'm not sure; we helped pull some people out of burning and crashed cars but I don't know if it was their car, was kinda focused on not getting shot then." Pyrrha didn't look reassure and went back to her oatmeal.

"What happened next?" Jaune asked. Nora grinned and pointed her fork at Yang.

"Did you break its legs?" Yang shook her head and Nora slumped back into her seat, pouting slightly.

"So Neptune starts-"

"Who?" Ren asked, his first comment towards her about her story.

"The guy I had with me. Anyway-" Nora grinned mischievously.

"Ohhh, a guy huh?"

"Yeah. Cute, but taken. So he starts shooting it and I'm driving through fires and shit and it aims its missile launcher at us."

"Missile launcher?" Jaune asked. Yang nodded.

"Yeah. So I'm thinking 'Well fuck this is gonna hurt'. And then it goes flying off."

"Was there a loose bolt?" Pyrrha asked.

"Nope. My dear little sis shot that fucker off just in the nick of time." She looked over their shoulders and saw her sister walking towards their table, Penny and Weiss walking alongside her. Wait. Penny?

"Morning guys!" Ruby said cheerily, walking around the edge of the table and sitting next to Yang. Weiss sat down on Yang's other side and gave JNPR a polite smile as a greeting. Penny sat down next to Ruby and flashed them a smile, waving.

"Salutations!" She beamed.

"H-hello," Pyrrha said. Jaune waved back, and Ren nodded. Nora leaned in towards Penny, a grin on her face.

"Hi! Are you a transfer student? Where are you from?"

"I'm from Atlas! And I guess I am now."

"Ooh, neat. Ren and I are from Mistral; are you liking the food here? I just love all the sweets they have."

"I am! And the food here is much sweeter then back home."

Yang turned to Weiss as Penny and Nora talked.

"Hey Weiss, I need to talk to you about the dance. I have some ideas for it."

"Like what?" Yang looked back over at JNPR and Ruby. She turned to Weiss and winked.

"Let's go somewhere a bit more private to talk about it." She laughed as Weiss' face flushed red. "Not like that; I don't want to ruin the surprise for everyone else."

"Well don't say it like that next time you dolt." Weiss said. She picked up her tray and went over to an empty table, her cheeks still red. Yang stood up and flashed a pair of gun hands at her friends.

"Later guys, Weiss and I gotta talk about some stuff." She said as she walked away. She took the seat opposite of Weiss and wrested her arms on the table as Weiss picked at her food.

"First, some ground rules; this is gonna be a kickass party so no doilies, boring music, or any of that other rich Atlas shit." Weiss pouted and set her spoon down.

"Boring? My taste in music is not boring." Yang rolled her eyes.

"Sure it isn't." She teased. "But I know you love to plan stuff so let's compromise. What kind of music do you like that won't put a crowd to sleep?" Weiss pursed her lips as she thought.

"I like Stupid Thugs. Is that 'party' enough for a crowd?" Yang scratched the back of her head as she mulled it over.

"Yeah, I guess. Gonna be hard to get a crowd pumped up without more music though." Weiss cocked an eyebrow.

"Why don't we just hire them?" Yang laughed.

"You serious? Where would we get the money to do that?" Weiss grinned at her.

"Did you forget who you were talking to?" Yang whistled.

"Damn Weiss, that-" Her scroll chimed. Weiss' face fell as Yang pulled it out of her pocket. Ruby had sent her a text. She looked back at her sister, who was busy laughing at something Nora had said, before opening the text. Yang's eyes widened at the picture; it was their bathroom but the tiles on the wall were cracked and there were drops of blood on the floor.

"What the shit." She whispered. Her scroll chimed again.

"Did u do this?" She looked back at her sister in shock. She was smiling as Nora told a story but Yang saw she had her scroll in her lap, and her hand wrapped around it.

"wtf? no" Ruby looked down at her scroll before quickly looking back up, her thumb dancing over the screen.

"Let me know if Blake isnt in class wit u. Weiss will tell u the rest." Yang pocketed her scroll, and looked at Weiss, who was stirring her spoon in her yogurt.

"Weiss. What the fuck was that?" She looked back at the other table, and realized that Blake wasn't there. She turned back to Weiss "Where's Blake?" she asked.

"We don't know," she said.

"What? What do you mean you don't know? She was in the dorm when I left, where could she have gone?"

"We don't know, Yang!" she snapped. Yang scowled at her and Weiss took a deep breath and exhaled through her mouth. "She was acting okay when we went to bed but when I woke up she was gone. And the bathroom was, well, like the picture." Yang looked back at the picture

"You guys thought I did that?" Weiss shook her head.

"She wanted to make sure it was Blake who did that before we freaked out and started looking for her."

"Well shit dude let's go look for her." She stood up and tried to walk away when she felt Weiss grab her wrist. She looked back at her

"Ruby doesn't want us freaking out until we see if she is in class or not." Yang snatched her hand back.

"Why? And why did you two wait till now to let me know she was gone?"

"She wanted to see if Blake was here first, with you. Ruby didn't want us tearing the school and Vale apart looking for her if she just woke up earlier then us. And she didn't want to worry JNPR or the others about it if Blake really did just wake up earlier then us." Yang took her seat.

"She punched the wall Weiss; that's not a good sign."

"You think I don't know that, Yang? But right now we need to stay calm and just try to see what is bothering her." Yang rolled her eyes.

"And if she ran away again? Or went to go pick another fight with the White Fang? What then?"

"Then Dust help anyone that stands in our way when we go after her." She said coldly.

* * *

She walked into the greenhouse that served as Professor Peach's class and grimaced; Blake wasn't here and it was almost time for class to start. Her shoulder's sagged as she joined the crowd of people. It was muggy in the greenhouse and reeked of dirt, manure, and other earthy smells. She found a spot in the back of the crowd and looked down at her boots as the people around her talked; she didn't really know anyone else in the class aside from Blake.

The bell rang and Peach walked into the room, a big smile on her face.

"Good morning class! I hope you all enjoyed the Summer Solstice! Would anyone care to share what they did before we start today?" Several hands flew up.

Ruby sighed and pulled out her scroll; better let Weiss know it was officially time to panic. Her finger hovered over Weiss' icon when she heard Peach exclaim

"Blake! So good of you to join us. Try and be a little faster next time though. Oh! Tell the class what you did during the Solstice." Ruby looked up and felt relief wash through her as Blake stood in the doorway. Her body looked tense and her hair hung past her shoulders in an un-brushed mess. She narrowed her bagged eyes at Peach before saying

"Nearly got killed. Try watching the news." Peach's mouth fell open in shock as Blake made her way through the crowd of students, shoving past them and taking a spot in the back. Peach blink and closed her mouth before saying

"Yes, well, um. I'm sorry to hear that Blake, and I'll try to make an effort to do so. But I'm going to have to ask you to stay after class for a little bit." Ruby looked over at Blake. She didn't say anything and just gave a curt nod to show she had heard her. The students around her gave her dirty looks as she pulled out her scroll and started to read something. Ruby looked back down at her own scroll and hit Weiss and Yang's icons.

"Blake's in class" A few seconds passed before Weiss responded.

"Oh thank Dust. How is she?"

"U ask y she punched the wall?" Yang asked.

"She looks angry. And tired. Not yet. Will let u no later." She pocketed her scroll and made her way over to Blake while a student told the class about how she had called her mother in Mistral. Blake didn't say anything as Ruby stood next to her.

"Hey Blake," she said. Blake grunted and her eyes remained glued to her screen. Ruby rocked back and forth on her heels, her hands resting behind her back. "We missed you at breakfast this morning." Blake said nothing. "Are you feeling okay? Any girl problems we should know about?" She saw Blake scowl. "It's just we found some blood on the floor this morning in the bathroom, and-"

"I don't want to talk about it." Blake growled. Ruby looked down at her boots, and kicked at a stray rock.

"Oh, okay. Well, you know we're here for you right?" Silence. Ruby sighed and pulled out her scroll. "She isn't talking about it." She pocketed her scroll and looked up at Peach as she began to teach the lesson; something about the deadly nightshade or some other flower and how poisonous it was. She couldn't concentrate and kept glancing over at Blake throughout the lesson.

Her shoulders were stiff and she kept her scroll glued to her face. Ruby couldn't see whatever it was that had Blake's attention, no matter how much she strained to see it.

"And that class is ho-" The bell rang and Peach looked over at the dirt encrusted clock on the wall. The students started to file out of the greenhouse, and Peach smiled and waved as they left. "I'll finish this lesson tomorrow class! Have a good day!" Ruby watched everyone leave the room and stayed in her spot next to Blake. Blake let out a sigh and collapsed her scroll, before crossing her arms and staring Peach in the eye. Peach looked disappointed as she stepped towards Blake. Ruby looked at Blake.

"Do you want me to wait for you outside, Blake?" she asked. Blake shook her head. "Okay then. I'll see you at lunch?" Blake said nothing and kept her eyes on Peach. Ruby sighed. "See you later, Blake." She said as she left the room.

Ruby walked through the grassy field around the greenhouse as she made her way back to Beacon's main campus. The sun was beating down, and there was not a single cloud in the sky. Ruby dragged her feet, and looked back at the greenhouse; she needed to know what was bothering Blake. She would be failing her as a leader if she didn't try and help her with her problems, whatever they may be.

Her scroll vibrated and she pulled it out of her pocket. It was from Jaune.

"Hey Rubes wanted to give you a heads up"

"Sure wut about?" She asked. There was a pause.

"Cardin plans on asking Weiss out to the dance. Said she already turned him down but that he wont take no for answer. Just thought Id let ya know." Ruby grimaced; now she had to deal with Weiss getting stalked on top of Blake hurting herself and becoming anti-social? God this sucked.

"O. Ill let Weiss know. Thanks Jaune! Ur the best! :)" She started to walk towards Beacon again; she couldn't afford to be late to Professor Verde's class again.

"No prob. We still meeting up at the library to discuss combo attack names?" She drummed her fingers along the side of her scroll as she thought about it. She might need the distraction. She shrugged and typed her response.

"Yea! See u then!" She left the conversation and clicked Weiss' icon. "Hey Weiss, Jaune told me that Cardin is going to try and ask u out to the dance."

"Ugh." Ruby smiled at her response. "I already told him no."

"Jaune says he wont take no for answer. Want me to let Yang or Pyrrha kno?"

"No. If he tries to do anything I will deal with him myself. Thank you for letting me know Ruby. I'll thank Jaune the next time I see him." Ruby almost put her scroll away when it vibrated again. "How is Blake?"

"Bad. She snapped at Peach & had to stay after class. Didn't talk 2 me at all in class"

"I hope Yang has better luck." Ruby nodded her head in agreement and looked up when she felt her feet hit cement. She was back on Beacon's main campus and hundreds of students were walking around the courtyard, making their way to their classes. She looked back down at her scroll and typed her response.

"So do I" She pocketed her scroll and started walking towards the left wing of the campus. Err, wait. Or was it in the right wing? Ruby groaned in annoyance as she stood looking at the two different buildings.

* * *

She opened the door to Professor Azura's class, and exhaled in relief at the sight before her. Blake was in her seat, reading something on her scroll. Her hair was a mess and she looked tired as she scowled at something on her screen. She hurried to her seat and flashed Blake a grin.

"Yo, Blake, how are you doing?" She didn't say anything. Yang frowned. "You wanna ditch class and head to the gym for a sparring match? You seem pretty tense. And ya know, like ya need to punch something other than a wall." Blake's turned towards her in a blur, her scowl deepening.

"What was that?" She said through clenched teeth.

"Uhhh. That I think we should have a sparring match? And that you need to punch things other than our bathroom wall?"

"I don't want to spar with you Yang." Yang cocked an eyebrow.

"You may not want to but you definitely need to do something to blow off some steam." Blake scoffed and went back to reading on her scroll.

"I'm fine. Now leave me alone."

"Yeah, no. Not gonna happen." Blake growled in annoyance and stood up. She stormed past Yang and went down the stairs, her fist clenched and her knuckles white as they held onto her scroll. "Where are you going?" Yang asked.

Blake didn't answer her as she threw the door open and stormed off.

"Shit," she said. She pulled out her scroll ad started to text Ruby. "I fuked up. Blake left class. Im gonna go after her" She stood up and started to go down the stairs when the door opened again and Professor Azura walked in. She cocked an eyebrow at Yang before flicking a strand of blue hair out of her face.

"Glad to see you here so early Ms. Xiao Long. Were you going to the bathroom before class started?" Yang shook her head.

"Nah, just doing some stretching."

"Hmph. I see." Yang did some leg exercises to sell Azura on her lie before taking her seat again. Students started to come into the class, noisily talking. Yang pulled out her scroll, and saw that Ruby had replied.

"U find her?"

"No. got stopped by azura"

"Ms. Xiao Long, please put your scroll away." Yang looked up from her scroll and saw Azura glaring at her. She put her scroll away and rested her head in her hand, annoyed. Well this fucking sucked.

* * *

She stormed into Professor Goodwitch's class and put her hands on her hips. The classroom was relatively empty aside from the girl she had been worrying about all day.

"Blake Belladonna!" She exclaimed. Her amber eyes lifted up from the screen.

"What do you want?" Weiss thrusted her arm forward, a finger pointed at Blake.

"For you to keep your promise! You said you would tell me whenever something was bothering you. And you know what I woke up to this morning?" Blake blinked and didn't bother answering Weiss' question. Weiss huffed and crossed her arms. "I woke up to you missing and very obvious signs that you had hurt yourself in the bathroom."

"And?" Weiss' eyes widened and her mouth fell open at Blake's question.

"'And?' 'And!' I've been worried sick about you since I woke up and that's all you can say for yourself? Tell me what is bothering you Blake! Did I mess up again and say something to you without thinking?" Blake scowled, her lip drawn into a tight line.

"No, Weiss, it wasn't you! Now just drop it, and leave me alone!" Weiss began to climb the bleachers, her eyes never leaving Blake.

"You're a part of this team Blake and we are never going to just 'leave you alone'. Whatever is bothering you we can work out. Together." She stopped in front of Blake and held out her hand. Blake looked at it before looking back at her scroll.

"You wouldn't understand. None of you would."

"Try me," she said. Blake stood up and turned towards her; towering over her as she lowered her scroll to her side.

"You. Would. Not. Understand. Now just-" The door opened and Weiss looked back to see Yang and Ruby enter the room. Weiss smirked triumphantly as they quickly made their way up the bleachers. She turned back to Blake. She looked miffed and she sunk into her seat, going back to reading on her scroll.

"Hi Blake! I missed you at lunch." Ruby said as she took her seat. Yang walked around Blake and took her seat on her other side.

"Yeah, it would have been great if you had been there. Jet and Nora go into an arm wrestling contest. The look on Jaune's face was priceless when Nora beat him." Blake said nothing, but Weiss could swear she could hear a low growl rumbling from her.

The door opened again and Weiss looked back to see Professor Goodwtich walk into the room, Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora following her. Glynda stopped and addressed them

"Hello Team RWBY. So nice for you all to be on time for once. I hope you all are not too sore from last night as I am going to need a team to volunteer for today's assignment." Weiss gave the professor a winning smile as JNPR climbed the bleachers and took their seats.

"Of course not Professor. We are all in fighting shape." A tiny smirk greeted Goodwitch's lips.

"Excellent." Weiss sat down next to Blake as the rest of the class began to appear, filling up the bleachers.

Weiss glanced at Blake out of the corner of her eye as the room filled up. The bell rang and Goodwitch raised a hand to silence the room.

"Today class I am going to need five volunteers. One team and one individual. We are going to be learning about how to handle a crowd of opponents, something that is not too uncommon when confronted with a pack of Grimm or dishonorable enemies. Now who would like to volunteer?" Weiss saw Pyrrha's hand shoot up and Team CRDL's hands shoot up in response. Goodwitch nodded in approval. They stood up and made their ways down the bleachers.

Weiss grinned; with Goodwtich distracted with Pyrrha pummeling those oafs she would, hopefully, be able to pry some answers from Blake, and not jeopardize her academics for this class. She turned towards Blake, who continued to stare at her scroll.

"Do you feel like telling us what's wrong yet?" Weiss asked.

A growl was her response.

* * *

She stepped into the ring and gave her opponents a polite smile. They sneered and scowled at her as they unsheathed their weapons. She pulled out Miló and slid Akoúo̱ into place, her polite smile never leaving her face. She was going to enjoy this.

Cardin charged forward with a yell, swinging his mace at her. Pyrrha parried the blow before slamming the shaft of her spear against his exposed side. Cardin grunted before swinging at her again. She ducked out of the way and threw up her arm to block an attack from Sky. His halberd raked across her shield as he pulled it back. His stomach was exposed.

She thrusted forward, her spear stabbing into his stomach. He grunted in pain as his aura took the blow and stepped back, raising his halberd, and holding it in front of his chest. She heard Cardin grunt from behind her and she ducked, his mace swinging over her head. With blinding speed she spun her spear around and thrusted back, stabbing into Cardin's knee. While he fell to the ground, Sky swung at her again with his halberd. She rolled out of the way, and sprang to her feet. She saw Dove taking aim at her with his gunblade, Russel off to his side, his dual Dust daggers in hand.

She hurled Akoúo at Dove's face. Dove reacted too slow and the shield slammed into his face, his arm's swinging wildly. He fired and the shot hit Russel in the head, and he howled in pain as his aura broke. He collapsed to the ground, clutching his head as his aura crackled around him.

Pyrrha heard a buzzing sound as she used her semblance to pull her shield back to her arm. Dove glowered at her and charged at her, yelling. Pyrrha held her ground, and grinned as she heard Cardin charging at her from behind. They had no coordination. She sidestepped them both; Cardin swinging his mace as Dove leapt forward. The look on their faces was priceless as Cardin's mace slammed into the back of Dove's head. He collapsed to the ground with a groan and Pyrrha heard the buzzing sound again.

Cardin rounded on her and charged at her. She parried and blocked each of his attacks as he swung at her. He had no rhyme or reason to it; he just swung wildly. She heard Sky lunge at her with his halberd and she threw up her shield. A jolt shot through her arm as his halberd slammed and embedded itself into her shield. She grit her teeth as she held off Cardin with her spear and Sky with her shield. Her leg shot out and kicked Cardin in the stomach, causing him to grunt and fall back, and she threw her full body weight into her shield. Sky yelped as he was pushed back. Pyrrha reached out with her semblance, and felt Sky's weapon. She thrusted forward again and pushed at the head of his halberd. The halberd slammed into Sky's face and he fell back, releasing his weapon. Pyrrha forced the halberd out of her shield with her semblance and tossed it away before spinning around to block another one of Cardin's attacks.

He stared at her, contempt in his eyes as he struggled against her spear.

"You're gonna lose you red haired bitch," he snarled. Pyrrha scowled but said nothing. She heard Sky get back up and charge at her, armed with nothing but his fists.

She kicked back and felt her heel slam into his crotch. She heard him let out a squeal and she heard the buzzing again. With no one else to worry about she pushed forward with all her strength and Cardin stumbled backwards.

She raised her spear and shield up as Cardin readjusted his grip on his mace. He charged at her once again, and Pyrrha held her ground before leaping over him at the last second. His mace came crashing to the ground as she landed behind him. He righted himself quickly, but not quick enough. Pyrrha slammed her shield into his back, causing him to fall to his knees and grunt in pain, before putting her spear in front of his throat and pulling up and back. He dropped his mace and grabbed at her spear as she strangled him.

He coughed and wheezed before he slapped his hand against the ground.

A buzzer sounded, and Pyrrha released him. He fell forward, ressting on his hands, and coughed repeatedly. Glynda walked into the ring, her heels clicking against the floor. A proud smile was on her face.

"And that's the match. Well done Ms. Nikos. Thank you for you cooperation, Team CRDL." Cardin, and the rest of his team struggled to their feet, mumbled some curses, and stumbled off the stage. Pyrrha gave a curt bow to Glynda.

"Thank you professor," she said.

"Not a problem Ms. Nikos. Now go get changed." She said before re-addressing the class. "And that class, is how to properly deal with a multitude of opponents. Any questions?" Pyrrha saw a student's hand shoot into the air before she made her way to the exit. She had hardly broken a sweat but even still it would be nice to get back into her uniform.

* * *

The bell rang and Ruby glanced over at Blake before standing up. Blake had collapsed her scroll, and her jaw was clenched; her nostrils flaring slightly. Weiss and Yang had been trying, and failing, to get an answer out of her all period.

Her sister and Weiss stood up, and Ruby began to descend the bleachers while students shoved past her and tried to leave as well. She looked back when she reached the door and saw Blake following after them, keeping her distance. Ruby shook her head before leaving the room.

Ruby was hit with a wave of sticky humidity when she stepped outside of the building. She walked down the sidewalk, before looking over her shoulder. Blake was still near the door, her hand hovering over her pocket. Ruby could see the outline of her scroll in her shorts pocket.

"Yo, Blake!" Ruby looked over to see Sun and Neptune walking towards her. Sun was moving stiffly and walked behind Neptune; a huge smile spread across his face when Blake looked over at him. She saw Blake narrow her eyes, and she grabbed her left arm. Neptune and Sun came to a stop in front of her.

"We were wondering if you wanted to head into Vale with us?" Neptune asked, resting his hands inside his jacket pockets. Blake's brow creased as she scowled.

"Why would I want to do that?" Sun cocked his head to the side, confused.

"To celebrate, silly. We stuck it to those White Fang assholes, why not celebrate?" He paused and looked her over. "You doing okay? You look like shit." Blake stepped towards him; her lip curling into a snarl.

"You think we 'stuck it' to them? We didn't accomplish anything you fucking moron!" Neptune's eyebrows shot up in surprise and he stepped between her and Sun.

"Woah! Calm down, Blake." Blake stepped towards him, her hands balled into fists. Her body began to tremble.

"No I won't fucking calm down! We stop one mech and you all think we can go back to our normal lives? Like the White Fang aren't out there doing who knows what? That we actually accomplished anything? We haven't! And we need to stop them before who knows what happens!" Blake screamed. Neptune's face betrayed no emotion, though Sun looked miffed as he watched Blake. People had stopped and were staring at them.

"Well we're sorry you feel that way Blake. Because we managed to save a bunch of people's lives when we stopped that mech. And when you guys helped the people trapped on that highway. And whatever all your friends did before the mech attacked. But I guess that's nothing to you." Neptune turned away from her and started to walk away. Sun followed after him with a huff. Neptune held up a hand as he left. "I'll let Honey and Martin know you couldn't make it. Later, Blake." He said.

Blake stood there fuming before turning away and storming off. The crowd watched her leave before scattering and going back to walking to their classes.

Ruby turned to Weiss and Yang. Weiss looked shocked, her hand resting over her mouth, and Yang gently shook her head as Blake disappeared from view.

"Guys." They looked at her. "I think we need to have an intervention."

* * *

She put her scroll to door to the dorm room, her head pounding. She heard her stomach growl and a twinge of hunger gnaw at her belly but she ignored it. She had to charge her scroll for the night before she went back to the library to try and learn any new information about the White Fang. She hadn't had much luck learning anything new but she was positive if she kept looking she would find something new. She just had to. She opened the door and felt her stomach drop.

Weiss, Ruby, and Yang were standing in the room. Yang had her arms crossed and her expression was hard. Ruby rested her arms behind her back and concern was in her silver eyes. She couldn't meet Weiss' gaze.

 _Animal._

She grit her teeth and started to back up. Yang frowned, and uncrossed her arms.

"Blake." It was Weiss. Blake forced herself to look at her; into her icy blue eyes. Her face seemed to soften when Blake looked at her. "Please don't run away. We just want to talk." Blake looked back at Ruby and Yang and felt a twitch in her legs; begging to run away; from the questions and their gazes. She looked back at Weiss, at her kind eyes. She stepped through the doorway.

"Fine," she managed. Relief washed over their faces and they started to walk towards their beds. Blake hesitated for a moment before following them, taking a seat next to Yang. Ruby was the first to speak.

"Blake we're worried about you. You've been acting really strange since last night."

"We think this investigation might be messing with your head." Yang said. Weiss held out her hand and started to count on her fingers

"You haven't been eating, you clearly haven't slept, you're snapping at teachers- while on academic probation I might add! - and you're trying to push your friends away." Weiss cleared her throat and motioned towards the bathroom with a flick of her wrist. "And, that, as well." Blake grabbed her left arm, squeezing her hidden emblem.

"You think I care about any of that? The White Fang are out there and they are putting innocent people's lives at risk!"

"We know, Blake, we've seen what they do first hand, and we want to stop them just as much as you." Blake let go of her arm and rested her hands in her lap. Seen it firsthand huh? She tried not to snort. Her eyes widened in disgust as she looked at her hands; they looked like they were drenched in blood. She squeezed her eyes shut.

"Thanks to you and Sun we know that they are somewhere in the Southeast part of Vale. And that they are working with an outside party." Ruby said. Blake opened her eyes, and was immediately confused. It hadn't been blood, it was just the ribbons on her arms and hands. She shook her head and looked up at Ruby. Weiss held up a hand, her index finger pointed skyward, and offered her a smile.

"And thanks to your prompting of this investigation we found out that the White Fang have been stealing a large amount of Dust in Vale, instead of destroying it like in the other kingdoms. So we know that the White Fang here are up to something strange, and have been for several months."

"And that whoever the White Fang is working for, they've got some serious ties if they can steal experimental Atlas military tech." Yang added.

"But we haven't found out why they are doing all of that! Who bought them out? Why are they working with humans? Why do they need all that Dust? Until we know what they are planning we won't be able to stop them."

"We know that Blake. But we can't stop them if you work yourself to death or get kicked out of school." Ruby kicked her foot before continuing. "And… why did you do that Blake?" Blake crossed her arms and looked away from Ruby.

"Do what?" Yang shifted her position so she was facing her.

"Why'd you punch the wall?" she asked.

 _Because I don't deserve any of you._

 _Because I'm a murderer. I'm no better than Adam._

 _Because I don't want to lose you like I did my parents._

Blake took a deep breath to steady herself, and looked over at Weiss. She was watching her calmly, no sign of judgement on her face.

"I was just angry. With how we haven't stopped the White Fang yet. And how we couldn't help more people on that highway."

"Then take that out on your pillow or come with me to the gym." Yang said, wrapping an arm around Blake's shoulder. Blake scowled but didn't try to break out of the embrace. "We don't want you hurting yourself Blake." She said. Ruby chewed on her lip for a moment before saying

"I want you to take a break Blake. Maybe come with us to the dance and unwind?" Blake broke free of Yang's embrace and shook her head.

"No," she said.

"Blake we want to help you. And we promise it will be fun, Yang and I are in charge of it." Blake grimaced; who knows what kind of obnoxious, loud music, and annoying flashing lights Yang had in mind.

"That sounds terrible," She said. She stood up, and turned her back to them; she didn't want to see the hurt look on their faces. She walked over to the door and opened it. "I'll be in the library," she said over her shoulder as she walked out and closed the door behind her.

* * *

"Fuck," Yang sighed.

"She can't keep going like that. We've gotta do something before she hurts herself even more." Weiss said. Yang nodded in agreement. There was a knocking at the door and Weiss looked over at it in confusion. She looked back at Ruby. "Did Penny forget her scroll?" Ruby held up her hand, her shoulders raised, and an 'I don't know' look on her face. Weiss frowned before looking back at the door and standing up. She walked over to the door and opened it. Weiss' body went rigid at the sight before her.

Cardin stood in the doorway, a smirk on his face, and red roses in his hands.

"Hey baby," he winked. The door slammed in his face. There was knocking at the door again. "Ah come on, Weiss, don't be like that." Weiss looked back at Yang, asking for help with her eyes. Yang nodded and walked over to the door to stand behind Weiss. She crossed her arms, flexing her impressive biceps as Weiss opened the door again.

That smug fucker didn't even bother looking at her as he stepped into the doorway and shoved the flowers into Weiss' face.

"So you, me, the dance this Sunday? What do you say?"

"What was my answer when you asked me out last time?" She asked, her voice cold. Cardin cocked an eyebrow.

"No?" Weiss nodded.

"And what makes you think I would say yes this time?"

"Because how you can you say no to me? I'm buff, I've got a jaw most guys would kill for, and you're…"

"I'm what?" Yang could feel a chill coming off of Weiss.

"You're Weiss Schnee; you're the prettiest, richest, and most famous girl here. It's only fitting for a guy like me to be with you." Yang scowled, struggling to keep her temper in check as she looked at his stupid face.

"Cardin."

"Yeah, ice queen?"

"All my life I've been dealing with guys like you; boys who don't actually care about me, and only care about my name and my money. Who want me as their trophy to show off to all of their friends. You're not the first clueless fool I've had to deal with, and I doubt you'll be the last. So my answer, now and forever, is no." Yang grinned as Cardin's ego began to deflate, and his expression fell "And for the record, I'm gay." She slammed the door, and Yang chuckled when she heard Cardin fall to the floor when the door hit him. Weiss walked away and went to her desk, cracking open a textbook.

There was a banging at the door. Yang scowled and threw it open

"Listen you fucking dyke, I-" Cardin's eyes widened when he saw Yang standing in front of him. Yang winked before grabbing him by the collar and lifting him off the ground.

"I'm only going to tell you this once so pay attention. Weiss is not into you. She will never be into you. And if you try to do _anything_ to her, I will beat you to within an inch of your life. Got it?" Cardin nodded vigorously. Yang smiled. "Good." She threw him and he slammed into the wall at the other end of the hall. Cardin groaned as he lay there. "Now get out of here before I get mad." Cardin scrambled to his feet and ran off. Yang shut the door with a smile.

* * *

Jaune slammed his sword against Pyrrha's spear, gritting his teeth as he pushed forward with all of his strength. Pyrrha kept his sword at bay before dropping her spear and stepping out of the way as his blade came crashing to the ground. Jaune let out a yelp as Pyrrha's legs swiped his legs out from underneath him. He coughed before rolling onto his back. The tip of Pyrrha's spear greeted him. She was smiling down at him, and he felt himself smile back at her.

She collapsed her spear and holstered it before she offered her hand. He took it and Pyrrha pulled him up.

"You've really been improving." She beamed. He blushed and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"All thanks to you." He said.

"So are you ready to do some aura conditioning?" Jaune shook his head, and rubbed his sore shoulder.

"Nah, Azura was pretty hard on me today. Want to do some cardio instead?" He looked at her, and started to blush again. There was a shiny sheen of sweat coating her olive skin, and her beautiful crimson hair was starting to look tussled. Her warm, green eyes were looking him over.

"Is something wrong Jaune?" Oh crap, he had looked too long.

"It's nothing." Pyrrha cocked her head to the side.

"Are you sure? You know you can talk to me about anything."

 _Even about how much I like you?_ He shook his head.

"I've just been thinking about this dance." There seemed to be a sparkle in her eyes.

"Really? What about it?"

"Just wondering how it's gonna go. I didn't really have much fun at the dances at my old school." Pyrrha cocked her head to the side, her ponytail falling over her shoulder.

"Why?" Jaune laughed slightly, causing Pyrrha to look more confused.

"I'm not exactly someone most girls would want to ask out. And I'm okay with that now; there are better guys out there." She looked disappointed.

"So you're not going?" she asked. Jaune shook his head.

"I'm still going but it's mostly to see you guys have fun. I know Nora's probably gonna do something crazy, and Ren will just go along with it." He smiled reassuringly. "And I guess I could meet whoever your date is." Pyrrha looked taken back.

"My date?"

"Well, yeah. I heard some guys in class talking about how they were gonna ask you out. They were pretty good looking so I don't see why you wouldn't say yes." Pyrrha snorted, and then laughed before giving him a smile.

"Actually Jaune, I do have a date in mind for the dance. He's one of the nicest guys I've ever met, and he's really cute." Jaune gave her a smile as he felt his heart plummet to his stomach. He had been right. Pyrrha deserved better than him.

"Well, I can't wait to meet him." He managed to say. There was a twinkle in Pyrrha's eye.

"Neither can I. Now, let's get started on that cardio." Pyrrha walked over to the door on the rooftop, opened it, and looked back at him. Jaune gave her a smile and followed after her.

* * *

Emerald stuffed chips into her mouth as Mercury read a comic and Neo drew something. Cinder was sitting on her bed, her scroll in her hand.

"We think Pyrrha Nikos may be the candidate." She said, crumbs falling down her chin. Cinder looked up from her scroll, eyeing Emerald curiously.

"Oh? Do tell." She said. Mercury lowered the comic just enough so he was looking over it.

"There's few people that are a better fighter than her. It would be stupid to pick someone less talented than her, especially with how versatile her semblance is." Cinder cocked an eyebrow.

"I know she's a good fighter, everyone from Mistral does." Emerald swallowed before saying

"She's also compassionate, no matter who she is dealing with. And since she is training to be a Hunter it wouldn't be strange for her to disappear from the world's watch." Cinder tapped her finger on her chin as she thought about what they said,

"Perhaps you are right. Let's keep an eye on her to see how things go."

"And what about Ruby?" Emerald asked. Cinder cocked her head to the side as she looked at Emerald.

"What about her?" Emerald fidgeted somewhat under her gaze.

"What are we going to do about her? She's a Silver Eyed Warrior, isn't she?" Cinder chortled.

"I don't think she poses a threat to us. She's a child."

"But she and her team stopped Torchwick the other night. And she ran into you back in spring. She could know who you are and tell Ozpin." Neo looked up from her drawing. She set it, and the pencils on the ground, and started to sign

"Can I kill them? I can do it while they're sleeping." Cinder shook her head.

"That won't be necessary, Neo. If Ruby recognized me she would have told Glynda by now; she was there as well. And she is a child; it would be next to impossible for her to be able to use the powers of the Silver Eyed Warriors at such an age. She is no threat to us." Emerald went back to eating her chips; if Cinder thought she wasn't a threat then she must not be.

Mercury groaned and sat up.

"Brothers this is boring. Are we actually going to be doing anything soon?" He asked. Cinder smiled wickedly.

"Oh I have quite the weekend planned for us."


	21. A Day on the Town

**Hey there, sorry about the long delay. RL stuff and writing prompts from tumblr, writers block, and going back and editing/adding content to chapters 1-7/9-10 sorta delayed this one. But its out now and I hope you enjoy it!**

Her eyes ran over the same line for what had to have been the fourth time. She frowned, and closed her textbook with a huff. She paused the music playing on her scroll and leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes.

It was her free period and she was hoping to get some studying done for Professor's Oobleck's class but she couldn't concentrate. Her mind kept drifting back to Blake, and what she could possibly do to help her. Ruby's intervention hadn't worked and Blake was even more distant then before, and she had gone and gotten detention in Azura's class the day before. And Weiss had been setting her alarm to wake her up in the middle of the night to try and see if Blake was actually sleeping in the dorm but she was gone every night. And she hadn't seen her in the cafeteria at all during breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

She sighed and opened her eyes, glancing over at the bathroom door. She had the room to herself, she could try.

She stood up and walked over to the bathroom. They had cleaned up the blood but the tiles on the wall were still cracked. She felt something strange in the bottom of her stomach, an emotion she couldn't quite place, as she looked at the cracks, and thought of Blake; what kind of pain she must be going through to do something like that and distancing herself so much from her friends. She sighed again and turned to the mirror.

She stood looking at herself for a moment before saying "Mirror, mirror on the wall, what should I do about Blake?" Her reflection appeared a moment later; she was resting her chin on her thumb, her index finger patting her cheek, her lips pursed as she thought.

"Hmmm. Well, what can we do?" Weiss frowned.

"We have to help her somehow. She isn't sleeping, eating, and she's really acting out. We have to do something before she gets hurts, or Dust forbid, expelled."

"We could tie her to a chair until she calms down."

"Don't be ridiculous. I need a real solution, some way to get Blake out of her rut." Her reflection tapped its finger against its cheek as it thought.

"What did we usually do when we were feeling like that?" Weiss paused as she thought about it.

"Shopping?" Her reflection nodded.

"We could take Blake out on a shopping date in Vale; I'm sure she'll calm down if we buy her enough stuff." Weiss thought it over; she _did_ always feel better after spending a lot of money.

There was a knocking at the dorm door, and Weiss peeked out of the bathroom. Who could that be?

She went to the door and opened it. Pyrrha smiled at her and held up a hand in greeting.

"Hello Weiss. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Not at all. Did you need something?"

"Jaune is taking us all out to go dress shopping for the dance. I thought I would ask if any of you wanted to come with us. I texted Ruby and Yang but they said no."

"I appreciate the offer but I was just about to head into Vale myself. I was planning on taking Blake with me." Pyrrha cocked her head to the side, her smile growing slightly.

"Oh? Well I hope you two enjoy yourselves." Weiss offered a smile.

"I hope so as well."

* * *

She narrowed her eyes, a low growl escaping her lips, as she exited out of the page she was on. How hard was it to find good, non-conspiracy theory news about the White Fang? She pulled up a search engine and started typing again. Maybe she would have better luck this time.

"Blake?" she heard a voice ask. She looked over her shoulder to see Weiss standing behind her, her arms resting behind her back.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I was going to head into Vale to do some shopping, and I wanted you to join me."

"You're skipping class?" Weiss gave her a smug grin.

"I'm planning the school dance; I can tell them we were out getting supplies for it." Weiss moved her hands out in front of her. "So do you want to come with me or not?" Blake turned back to the screen; she _could_ find a way to sneak away and try and hunt down some answers while in Vale.

"Fine," she said. She heard Weiss clap her hands together, and she looked back to see Weiss beaming at her.

"Oh this is going to be marvelous Blake. I already have the stores we will visit planned out."

 _Of course you do._

Blake begrudgingly got out of her seat and followed after Weiss.

They exited the library and made their way to the airships. It was gloomy out, the skies filled with dark clouds. There was a breeze in the air, and Blake felt goosebumps appear on her exposed arms and belly as the wind cut through her thin clothes. She looked over at Weiss, who didn't seem fazed by the chill at all.

 _Of course not, she's from Atlas._

Weiss was busy typing away at her scroll as they entered the airship. They took their seats and she had to resist the urge to pull her own scroll out and start trying to look up anything new about the White Fang. Blake played with her hands restlessly as the ship took off.

"Where are we going?" she asked. Weiss looked up from her scroll and looked at her. She seemed to be positively glowing.

"I planned on us visiting a Dust shop; I need to get some more Dust for Myrtenestar, and then I was going to take us to a nice vegetarian restaurant I know." Blake narrowed her eyes; things didn't go too well the last time Weiss picked out a restaurant. Weiss noticed the look she gave her and held up her hand defensively.

"Don't worry, it's friendly towards Faunus customers. I made sure to check with them first." Blake looked down at her lap, looping her fingers together.

"That it?"

"No. After that I was going to treat you to some shopping in the Upper End." Blake looked over at her. Weiss was grinning, proud of herself. "I can't think of a better way to help you get out of your rut." Blake looked away.

 _Shopping? Shopping isn't going to stop the White Fang. Does she seriously think she can just buy away our problems?_

"Sounds…fun," She said dryly.

"It will be." Weiss said.

* * *

Weiss opened the door to the Dust shop and held it open for Blake. Blake slowly entered, holding onto one arm and looking around the building. There weren't very many customers in here today, so it was rather quite inside the store; some soft jazz music was playing over the intercom.

She couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride as she saw her family's brand on most of the Dust containers on the walls and shelves. There were some Dust products from some companies aside from her own but they didn't offer nearly as many products as her family did.

Blake stood a little off to the side awkwardly, eyes flickering over the different Dust vials.

"Blake?" She looked over at her. "Is Gambol Shroud Dust compatible?" Blake's eyes flicked upward as she thought about it. She nodded. "Have you ever used Dust with it before?" Blake shook her head. A smile crept up her face; a Dust cartridge would be a great gift.

She walked over to the counter, letting Blake wander the aisles. The employee at the counter was a young deer Faunus, her hazelnut hair pulled back in a ponytail.

"Hello, how may I help you?" she asked. Weiss pulled out her scroll and placed it on the counter.

"Hello, I need five vials of each of the Dust types listed. And I was hoping to get some Dust rounds for a VBCS." The woman gave a polite smile as she noted the Dust vials.

"Do you know the caliber and magazine size?" Weiss nodded; she made sure to know as much as possible about her teammates weapons encase they ever needed Dust rounds or modifications for their weapons.

"9x19, and fifteen rounds I believe."

"And do you want that in the SDC brand of Dust?" Weiss nodded.

"Of course," she said. The woman punched the order into the screen at the counter.

"And that comes out to one thousand eight hundred and ninty-two lien. Cash or credit?"

"Credit," she said. She swiped her card when the woman told her too.

"Now some of these items are out of stock and it will take a little while for the Dust rounds to come in. Do you want us to mail all of this to you?"

"Yes please. You can mail it to Beacon Academy. Put it down for Weiss Schnee." The woman gave her a nervous smile.

"Yes ma'am, I was already aware of who to put the order for." Weiss felt her expression fall, just for a moment, before she gave the woman a polite smile. She opened her mouth but closed it and looked back when she heard the store door chime. She saw Blake walking down the sidewalk. She furrowed her brow and quickly went to the door.

"Blake?" She called out when she stepped out of the store. Blake froze and looked back at her. Weiss stepped towards her. "Where are you going?" Blake turned to face her, rubbing her arm sleeve, avoiding looking her in the face.

"I, uh, needed some fresh air." She said. Weiss stared at her; Blake was terrible at lying.

"Uh huh." She said. She closed the distance between them. "Well if you need some air, we can take the long way to the restaurant."

"I'm not hungry," Blake said. A moment later a loud growling came from her belly. Weiss cocked and eyebrow and smiled smugly.

"Is that so?" Blake grimaced and said nothing. Weiss grabbed Blake's hand and started to walk down the street, practically dragging the larger girl along. She figured Blake would try something like this, and she was going to make sure she kept her in her sight for the rest of the day.

She walked down the sidewalk, keeping her grip on Blake's hand, as she took the long way to the restaurant. Blake said nothing as they walked. She glanced up at the sky and grimaced slightly; the skies were darkening faster than she thought they would. The weather forecast said it was going to rain but that was supposed to be hours away.

She ignored the looks people gave them as they passed them on the street; it wasn't too strange for two female friends to walk down the street holding hands was it?

Before she could continue down that line of thought she saw the restaurant come into view. It was a modest building, mainly made from wood with a green shingled roof. A few customers, clearly not caring about the coming rain, were sitting in the outside dining area. Weiss smiled as she saw that some of the customers were human Faunus couples; so the restaurant owner hadn't been lying when she had said she was open to Faunus customers.

They entered the restaurant, Weiss holding the door open for Blake before stepping inside. The inside of the store had pastel colored walls. Blackboards took up a wall, the menu scribbled on them with swirly handwriting. Fruits, cakes, and other sweets were kept in glass containers on the wood counter were an old moose Faunus stood. She offered them a sweet smile as they stepped up to the counter.

"Hello, how may I help you?"

"We would like some salads. A large one for my friend, she's rather hungry." Blake gave her a look and grumbled something inaudible before crossing her arms. The moose punched in the order.

"Anything else?" Weiss looked over at the desserts, looking each of them over with a discerning eye. Was that tiramisu!

"One slice of tiramisu please." The moose punched it in and told her the amount. Weiss paid, and grabbed Blake's hand and took her to a corner in the restaurant.

They sat opposite one another and Blake played with her hands. There was silence as Weiss thought of what to say.

"Where did you plan on going?" she asked. Blake stopped playing with her hands.

"What?"

"When you left the store, where did you plan on going?" Blake didn't answer. Weiss waved her hand. "I know you want to go out and fight the White Fang, Blake, but you can't do that all on your own." Blake crossed her arms and looked down at the table. "And besides, they've probably all moved to the southeast by now, I doubt there's any here in Vale anymore." Weiss put her hand back down on the table. "We haven't given up our fight against them, but… let's just live a little before we get back into the fray. Okay, Blake?" Blake sighed, her shoulders slumping. She looked at Weiss, her amber eyes looking tired and surrounded with purple bags.

"Fine. But just for today." Weiss smiled; that was a victory, no matter how small it was.

Their lunch came a moment later, and Weiss began to eat, savoring the taste of the spinach, and loving the crunch to it. Blake picked at her food for a few minutes before she started to eat. She managed to polish off the large bowl a few minutes later, while Weiss was still only half way done with her own.

"Hungry?" Weiss asked with a laugh. Blake blushed.

"A little."

The tiramisu came a moment later. Weiss put her bowl off to the side, wiped her lips with her napkin, and picked up one of the forks, cutting into the cake. She took a bite, it was delicious. She saw Blake cock her head to the side, eyeing the tiramisu.

"You only bought one slice?" Weiss nodded.

"I can't eat the entire thing by myself. I love the taste but I have a hard time eating a lot of sweets." Was Blake blushing?

"I- I see." She said. She picked up the other fork, and took a bite. She made a face; a mixture of delight and disgust. Weiss giggled.

"It's coffee and chocolate based, is that okay?" Blake looked at it before shrugging.

"I don't really like coffee. But I think I can manage." She said.

Weiss ended up eating more of the cake than Blake. With their bellies full they left the restaurant.

* * *

Blake trailed behind Weiss as they walked down the pristine streets of the Upper End of Vale. The skies had grown even darker, practically black now, and the wind had picked up. Blake had her arms squeezed together against her chest as Weiss continued onward, not deterred in the slightest.

"These stores should have umbrellas in them, Blake. I would hate for us to get soaked." Weiss said, glancing over her shoulder at her. Blake grumbled a response.

Blake looked at one of the stores and felt her heart skip a beat.

We Reserve the Right to Refuse Service.

She felt herself go slack jaw, and looked over at Weiss. She hadn't even noticed the sign as she continued to walk down the street, towards a store that also had that sign. She narrowed her eyes at her; was this some kind of sick joke? Was she seriously taking her to a store like that?

She felt a cold drop of water land on her head and she looked up, holding her hand out in front of her. She felt some more drops as it began to drizzle. She heard Weiss yelp and looked over at her to see her start running towards the store she had wanted to go to, her hands thrown over top her head to protect her hair.

This was her chance. She could leave Weiss now and start searching for any remnant of the White Fang. She saw an alley and stared down it before looking back at Weiss.

She started to run after her.

Weiss was standing underneath the store's opening, flicking her hands in an attempt to dry them. Her ponytail was wet and hung on her shoulder. Blake patted her hands against her shorts, drying them off.

"I knew I should have brought an umbrella. The weather forecast is always wrong here about the rain." Weiss huffed, as she squeezed water out of her ponytail. Blake said nothing and opened the door for her. "Thank you," Weiss said as she entered the store. Blake entered after her.

It was cold and bright inside the store, the lights a fluorescent white. Clothes more expensive than her family's house were on display on bone white mannequins. A human man with a clean shaven face and a false smile greeted them. She didn't like the way he stared at her bow. Weiss walked towards the clothes, motioning towards them with a twirl of her hand as she turned towards her with a smile.

"So, Blake Belladonna, what do you want to buy?" She asked cheerily. Blake looked at the wide variety of clothes and began to feel subconscious of her own clothes; the hand sewn patches on them, the grime stains that she couldn't wash out, the holes she couldn't close. She didn't belong in a store like this.

She began to rub her arm, her emblem feeling like it was going to burn through her sleeve.

"I… I don't know." She said. Weiss pursed her lips before saying

"Well, how about we start with shoes? Maybe get you some nice heels, since you said you don't have any." Blake looked down at her boots, noticing the mud caked around the bottom, and the flecks of dark brown that she told her teammates was Grimm blood. She didn't need heels but maybe, perhaps, she could use some new boots. The last thing she needed while fighting Adam was for the heel in her boot to snap due to it being too worn down.

"I could use some new shoes." She said. Weiss smiled.

"Excellent, let me show you where they are." Blake followed Weiss through the store, noting how the other customers looked at her; the judgement in their eyes as they looked her over, and the shock when they saw who she was with. Weiss didn't seem to notice, or if she did, care about the looks they were getting from all the other customers.

Weiss took a turn and Blake was amazed at what she saw. Shoes, boots, sandals, heels, and just about any kind of footwear she could have imagined stacked on racks upon racks taller than her. Weiss looked pleased as Blake looked over the shoes.

"I'm sure we can find something for you," she said. Blake began to walk down the aisles, looking over the various shoes. She didn't look at the price tag, afraid to see how much Weiss would be spending. Oooh, these were nice. She stopped and picked up a pair of black boots, the inside of the boot a lovely shade of amethyst. The buckles were a shiny silver, and the fabric felt very sturdy; perfect for what she would need them for. Maybe staying with Weiss hadn't been a bad idea. Her ears perked up as she heard a voice.

"Of course the Vale Council was right in suggesting we have a curfew for the Faunus. We all saw what kind of damage those Fang lunatics can do on the highway. How are we supposed to know which ones aren't one of those terrorists?" Blake felt her blood turn cold as she looked over at the source of the sound. An employee was sitting at the desk in the center of the shoe department, her scroll in front of her. She was a human, and Blake could see that the video was Jackal News; a news agency known for being against Faunus Rights. Blake continued to stare at the woman as the video continued.

"I saw a curfew isn't enough. We need to keep them under surveillance, see which of them are sympathetic to those murderers and arrest them before they get any ideas of joining them."

"Don't you think that's a little far? Wouldn't that alienate a lot of Faunus in the city and any human allies in Vale?" The first voice laughed.

"Of course not. They waged a war against us, and still aren't happy after we gave them an entire island nation for them to live on, and treat that war as a holiday; something for us humans to be ashamed of and sympathetic with them over. Until they prove to us that they are worthy of being trusted, I say let the curfews and surveillance happen to them. No skin off my nose if it angers some cry baby Faunus or delusional humans."

The employee was nodding her head in agreement.

Blake's nostrils flared and her upper lip twitched as she glared at the woman.

"Blake, are you okay?" Weiss asked.

"Just peachy," she said. She put the boot back on the rack and left the shoe department. She heard Weiss hurry to catch up with her.

"Did they not have that one in your size?"

 _She seriously thinks I care about the shoe after what we heard that woman listening too?_

"No. And I don't want any shoes." She said.

"Well, okay. How about some clothes? You must want something new, and a little less travel worn?"

 _Something less poor looking?_

Blake continued to walk, and found herself back near the entrance, where all the women's clothing was. She stood next to a rack of black sweaters and tried to calm herself down, while Weiss sorted through the sweaters. She listened to the rain pound against the roof, and the occasional boom of thunder.

 _That was just one associate. Just one. Calm down Blake, clam down. This entire store can't be against you._

She remembered the sign.

Her jaw was set as she looked over at a different part of the store. Two customers were talking to one another.

"So my sister's dating some kind of dog Faunus. You got any advice for me to give her?"

"Yeah, tell her to invest in a collar." The first customer started to laugh as the second grinned.

That was it.

She walked away from the rack and towards the entrance.

"Blake? Blake, where are you going? It's raining out don't-" Blake threw open the door, the chiming noise from the door annoying her, and stepped outside.

It was pouring rain out there and the temperature must have dropped by several degrees. She stepped into the rain, ignoring the jolt to her system as the freezing cold water hit her. She heard the door open again and Weiss follow after her. Weiss grabbed her hand.

"Blake, please, what's wrong?" she asked. Blake snatched her hand back and spun around, scowling. She pointed at the store, at that sign.

"What's wrong is I can't believe you would take me somewhere like this. That you seriously think that you can just buy away all of my problems." She stepped towards Weiss, who shrunk back. "That you think that spending a bunch of money will make the White Fang just disappear and that everything will just be okay between my people and yours. That you think that stores like that and people like that are perfectly acceptable." Weiss' lip quivered. "You haven't changed at all, Weiss."

Weiss' eyes widened in shock and her mouth fell open as she stared at her. Blake's anger dissipated instantly and regret clawed at her heart.

 _Oh Gods, what have I done?_

* * *

Blake's eyes widened as she realized what she said before she turned and ran. Weiss' legs felt like gelatin as she stood in the freezing rain, watching Blake run farther and farther away.

She stood there, her body starting to go numb as Blake got further and further from her sight. She craned her neck and looked over at the store window. Illuminated in the bright shining window was a sign reading 'We reserve the right to refuse service.'

Had that always been there? Had she truly never noticed?

She felt her legs start to move and she stood before the window, running her hand over the sign. Inside the people happily went along shopping. Not a single one was a Faunus.

She backed away from the window and looked down the street, at the various other stores. She felt her legs start to move, stumbling forward and taking her down the street. The rain pelted against her skin, soaking through her clothes, and chilling her to the bone.

She stopped in front of a store, a sign in the window read 'We reserve the right to refuse service.' Someone in the store saw her peering in through the window, and their nose wrinkled up in disgust at the sight of her.

She backed away from the window and started to walk down the sidewalk again. A car drove past her, splashing a puddle of water onto her. She groaned in annoyance and flicked the water off her hands. She looked down at her dress; aside from being soaking wet there were no stains.

She looked up and saw in the window across the street another sign. She shook her head in disbelief; how could she have never noticed these before? Her legs moved forward.

We Reserve the Right to Refuse Service.

We Reserve the Right to Refuse Service.

We Reserve the Right to Refuse Service.

How could she have been so blind to this?

She came to a stop in front of a store, the lights inside dim, and the windows reflective. There was a flash of light and thunder boomed, shaking the ground beneath her.

She stared at her reflection; her ivory white hair hung limp across her face and her makeup was running. That hideous scar of hers stood out against her makeup and pale skin. Her ice like eyes swirled with a mixture of emotions; anger, confusion, hatred.

She didn't care who saw.

She took a deep breath, and said "Mirror, tell me something. Am I… am I still the same person I was before? Is Blake right about me?" There was another boom.

Nothing.

She scowled; her reflection scowled back at her.

"Mirror, am I a terrible person?"

Nothing.

"Mirror, am I just like my father?"

Nothing.

"Mirror talk to me!" She exclaimed. There was a flash of lightning, and Weiss pressed up against the glass, staring at her reflection. "Mirror, please. Please just talk to me." She stared at her reflection, waiting for her to appear; with that mischievous grin and her pretty skin clear of that disgusting scar.

She slapped her hand against the window. "Mirror, mirror on the wall, please talk to me!" She cried. Her head drooped, and hung low, her bangs slipping off her wet skin and falling in front of her eyes. "Please, you're the only friend I have."

The water running down her face felt warm.

* * *

 _Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!_

She could feel tears running down and mingling with the rain as it hit her face.

 _Why would you say that to her? Why would you say that to her!_

She took a turn and ran into an alley, pressing up against the wall. The bricks were cold, slippery, and chilled her body even more as she pressed up against them. She tried to catch her breath, water dripping into her mouth as she gasped for air.

 _You stupid fucking animal!_

She pressed the palms of her hands against her eyes, rubbing them in.

 _Weiss can't hear as well as you, how was she to know what those employees were saying and listening too? She never knew; she wasn't trying to hurt you! She took you out to a Faunus restaurant for Gods sake!_

Weiss and the others wanted to help her, and what did she go and do? She had to go and mess it up, like she did with everything else in her life. First her parents, now Weiss, and it would only be a matter of time until she screwed things up with Ruby and Yang. But she was too self-absorbed, too focused on the White Fang to even give their attempts at help even a second thought. She gnashed her teeth; her nails digging into her face.

Of course she was too self-absorbed; back with her parents she ignored their warnings because she was so focused on Adam, and the sweet lies he told her about his plans for the Fang. _She_ was the one who hadn't changed at all; she was still the same stupid little girl she had been five years ago when she ran away from home. Nothing had changed; she was letting the White Fang control every part of her life and she was still running from the people she loved.

She slid down the wall, landing in a puddle. The water soaked through her shorts and stockings. She didn't care.

Why did she have to be involved with the White Fang? Why did she have to care so much about the plights of her people? About the injustices of the world? Wouldn't her life be so much better if she was just ignorant to the truths of her world? That she could just ignore everything wrong in Remnant's society?

Why did she have to be born a Faunus?

She moved her hands up from her face and felt her sagging, waterlogged bow; her ears twitched at her touch. She began to pull them, pain shooting through her body. If she could get rid of these everything would be so much easier.

Why did she have to be born as an outcast?

Why did she have to be born fighting every second of her life to be considered as important as her human counterparts?

Why did she have to be such a screw up?

She let her ears go, the pain subsiding to a dull ache, and buried her face into her knees. The rain fell against her back; drenching her.

* * *

She tossed the pills into her mouth and downed it with a small glass of water. She shuddered as it went down; she hated taking her meds.

She went over to her bed and sat down, taking off her boots. The rain pattering against the window was relaxing, and Ruby leant back onto her bed with a yawn. Yang was lying in bed across from her, watching a movie on her scroll.

"You doing okay with those?" She asked, not looking up from her scroll. Ruby nodded, and pushed her black and red hair out of her face.

"Yeah, I should have enough for a little while longer." She saw her sister smile.

"That's good. Just let me know when you need some more." Ruby groaned.

"Okay mom, I-" The door to the dorm opened and Weiss calmly walked in, her body stiff. Her eyes were red and puffy and she was soaked, her clothes sticking to her, and strands of white hair sticking to her face.

"Weiss, you okay?" Yang asked. Weiss nodded as she went over to the bathroom. She shut the door behind her, and Ruby heard the lock click. Yang looked over at her, her eyebrows furrowed in concern. She heard the shower start running, and she stood up and made her way to the door. She raised her hand to knock but stopped and put her ear up against the door.

She could hear Weiss sobbing.

Ruby stepped away from the door and went over to Yang, sitting next to her.

"She's crying." She said. Yang looked over at the bathroom door.

"Should we do something?" Ruby shook her head.

"I'll ask her if she's okay when she's out." Yang shrugged.

She resumed playing her movie and Ruby sat there, listening to the dumb action flick and waiting to see if Weiss wanted to talk about whatever was bothering her.

A half an hour passed before Ruby heard the water stop, and a few more minutes passed before Weiss stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel and looking no less wet then when she had entered. She went to the closet without a word. She exited a few minutes later in her night gown, her wet hair hanging limp.

"You doing okay, Weiss?" Ruby asked as Weiss lifted the covers off her bed.

"Yes, Ruby. I'm perfectly fine." She replied, her voice emotionless.

"Weiss if something is wro-" Weiss spun on her heels, anger replacing the dead look in her eyes.

"I said I'm okay Ruby! I am perfectly fine! Now just let me go to bed you dolt!" Yang sat up.

"Don't snap at her cause something is bothering you." She said. Weiss' lip quivered and she turned her back to them, her body trembling slightly.

"Am I a racist?" she whispered. Ruby looked over at Yang, who was looking at her, her mouth agape slightly, to make sure she had heard her right.

"Weiss?"

"Am I a racist?" Weiss said louder this time. Yang held up her hand.

"Weiss, why are yo-" Weiss turned towards them again, tears welling in her ice blue eyes.

"Answer me! Am I a racist! Am I a horrible person! Would you all be better off if I was dead!" She yelled, the tears starting to run down her cheeks. Yang practically leapt off the bed and embraced Weiss. Ruby saw her stiffen at the contact before returning the hug, clutching the back of Yang's jacket and starting to sob into her shoulder. Ruby got up and joined the hug, wrapping her arms around Weiss.

"Of course not, Weiss." Yang said. Weiss hiccupped.

"But-"

"Weiss whatever you're thinking, it's wrong. We care about you and we don't want you to leave." Weiss hiccupped again.

"We love you Weiss," Ruby said. Weiss shook her head.

"You don't mean that." She said. Ruby tightened her hug, and felt her sister do the same.

"Yes we do Weiss. And there isn't anyone else we would rather be friends with." Weiss said nothing but continued to cry into Yang's shoulder. Yang began to run a hand over Weiss' head, cooing.

Weiss' body slowly stopped trembling, and her hiccups lessened. Ruby untangled herself from the hug and took a step back, her sister doing the same.

Weiss rubbed at her eyes, sniffled, and looked at them.

"Thank you." She said. Ruby smiled at her.

"Any time Weiss." Weiss got into her bed and lay on her side, her blanket tucked up to her chin. Yang motioned to the dorm door with her head and Ruby nodded.

Yang sighed as she shut the door and crossed her arms.

"First Blake starts acting up, and now Weiss is… This shit isn't easy."

"You think she's going to be okay?" Ruby asked. Yang mulled it over.

"Maybe. I'll stick to her like glue while we work on the dance. Let's keep an eye on her." Ruby nodded in agreement. "You seen Blake lately? I didn't see her in class today."

"I saw her in Peach's class this morning. She's probably cooped up in the library. You want to go look for her?" Yang glanced at the dorm door and shook her head.

"Not right now. I'm more worried about Weiss." Ruby looked over at the door as well.

"I'll keep an eye on both of them, and if we need to I'll have another team intervention." Yang said nothing before opening the dorm door and going inside. Ruby followed.

Weiss seemed to be sleeping; her form rising and falling slightly to her gentle breathing. Yang got into her bed, and put headphones into her scroll, and resumed watching her movie.

Ruby climbed onto her bunk and started to read a book on her scroll. She yawned as she read the page before turning off her scroll and getting into a comfortable position.

* * *

The door creaked open louder than Blake wanted it to. Moonlight shone through the window, illuminating her sleeping teammate's forms. Blake silently shut the door behind her before stripping out of her cold, damp clothes. She pulled out a new set of clothes and changed into them. She glanced at her bed, her body sore and her eyes heavy. She shook her head, and went to her desk. She ripped a piece of paper out of a notebook, and scribbled _I'm Sorry_ on it before walking over to Weiss' bed.

She gingerly placed the note on her pillow before turning away from her. She grabbed her charger, glanced at Weiss, and left the room.

 **And that's it! Let me know what you think and I'll try and get the next chapter out at a more reasonable time.**


	22. Burning the Candle

**I'm not dead and neither is the fic! Work and school have been kicking my ass though but this chapter is done! I hope it was worth the wait.**

Yang groaned as she opened her eyes; did everyone have to be so loud this early in the morning? She turned over and saw her sister on the floor, Penny looking down at her from their bunk and Weiss sitting up and watching Ruby.

"Penny! What have I said about getting in bed without waking me up first?" Penny raised the blanket up bashfully, concealing the lower part of her face.

"But you all were sleeping and I did not want to wake any of you with my arrival last night. Being well rested is very important for one's health." Ruby rubbed the back of her head.

"Well… just send me a text or something saying you'll be out late. It's weird waking up and seeing your face when we weren't together when I went to sleep." Penny let the sheets go and gave a salute.

"Understood, Ruby!"

Weiss got up from her bed and made her way over to the bathroom, sidestepping Ruby. The bathroom door shut behind her and a moment later Yang could hear the sound of the shower running.

Ruby looked back at her.

"You said you're going to watch her, right?" she asked. Yang nodded. Penny looked at them strangely.

"Why will you be watching Weiss? Is something wrong with her?" Ruby shook her head.

"I don't want to call what she's going through wrong but yes, she said some stuff last night and we're worried about her. So Yang is gonna watch over her today while they get the dance ready."

"Oooooh, I see," she said, nodding her head in understanding. She looked over at the bunk above Yang. "Did Blake not come back last night? That would be the," she paused and started to count on her fingers "Third night in a row that she has not been here." Ruby sighed and looked down at the floor. Yang tossed her blanket off and sat up, her legs dangling off the edge of the bed.

"Ruby?" Her sister looked back at her. "Try and find Blake and see if you can help her out. Okay?" Ruby nodded in understanding.

"What should I do?" Penny asked. Ruby looked up at her and shrugged.

"Relax, look around the school, go have some fun while we sort all of this out."

"Understood!"

* * *

Ruby pushed the door to the library open and made her way inside. It was quiet inside the building, only a few students studying at the desks, and early morning sunlight was filtering into the building through the large glass windows.

She gave a courteous nod to the librarian and started to wander through the building. Blake would probably be on one of the computer terminals but she could also be hiding away in an aisle, busy on her scroll.

She walked through the building slowly, poking her head in each aisle to check for Blake. She wasn't in the romance section, or the mystery section. Fantasy and sci-fi were empty. She walked past the horror aisle only to hurry back once she realized there was a girl in monochromatic clothes sitting in the aisle.

"Blake!" She whisper shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth. Blake looked up from her scroll; the bags under her bloodshot eyes had deepened and darkened, almost as black as her hair now. Ruby saw her bow twitch as Blake looked back down at her scroll.

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice low. Ruby walked over to her and sat down next to her, tucking her knees in against her chest, her arms wrapped around her legs.

"Can't a team leader worry about her team mate?"

"I'm doing fine."

"No you're not, Blake. You aren't sleeping, you're skipping classes and picking fights with teachers. You aren't eating, and you're avoiding us." Blake looked away from her scroll and stared off into space, refusing to meet Ruby's gaze.

"It's better if you and the others stay away from me."

"How? How could that possible be better, Blake?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Of course not! You never explain anything to us! You just get really distant or run from us!"

"You wouldn't understand, Ruby! Everyone I care about always end up getting hurt because of me. You, Weiss, Yang, and all the others should just forget about me." Ruby shook her head and wrapped an arm around Blake's shoulder. Blake continued to look away from her.

"That's not true Blake."

Blake said nothing as she slipped out of Ruby's embrace and stood up. She was out of the aisle before Ruby had a chance to stand up. Ruby followed around the corner and an annoyed groan escaped her lips; Blake had already disappeared.

Freaking ninjas.

* * *

She set the speaker down with a grunt, straightened it, and backed away with a smile. Oh these things were gonna kick ass. She looked over at Weiss, who was busy trying to straighten a flower; her movements were sluggish and her face was emotionless. Yang's expression fell as she saw Weiss go about her work. She walked over to her and sat down in the chair at the table.

"Weiss? There anything you wanna talk about?" She looked at her and shook her head. Yang cocked an eyebrow. "You know you're a terrible liar, right?"

"I am not!" Weiss huffed.

"Well you're doing a bad job convincing me otherwise." She rested her arms on the table. "I can tell that something is bothering you Weiss, and after last night I don't want you keeping anything bottled up. So let's hear it." Weiss did nothing for a moment before shuffling her feet and then pulling out a scrap of paper from her pouch. She handed it to her, looking in the opposite direction. Yang eyed it, looked at Weiss, and then took it.

 _I'm Sorry_

She flipped it over, and saw that it was blank. She flipped it back over. She looked back at Weiss.

"I don't get it," she said. Weiss looked back at her and crossed her arms.

"Blake left that on my bed."

"Why?" Weiss sighed and looked away again, her shoulders slumping.

"That…. outburst I had yesterday was caused by her. I- I took her out to Vale to do some shopping to lift her spirits and I…" she took a breath. "I took her to a store that discriminated against the Faunus. And when she left the store she told me how I haven't changed at all. " She looked over at her. Pain was etched on her face. "And I know you think I've changed but Blake is right, and she doesn't need to apologize to me. I should have noticed all those signs Yang." Weiss turned her back to her, her voice thick with emotion.

"And I've been thinking back to last semester; I almost single handedly ruined this team because of my bigotry. I drove Blake off, and I made it to where you and I would hardly say a word to one another before coming close to fighting. I don't deserve to be on this team, Yang, and I don't deserve any of you."

Yang stared at Weiss, opening and closing her mouth as she struggled to think of what to say.

"Well…shit, Weiss." She managed. She scratched the back of her head. "You really think that?" Weiss ponytail bobbed with her head as she nodded.

She contemplated the chances Weiss would kill her for her next action, and decided to do it anyway. She stood up from the chair and wrapped her arms around Weiss, resting her head on her shoulder. She felt Weiss' body go rigid at the contact.

"Wha-what are you doing?" she stammered out.

"Hugging you."

"Why?"

"Because we clearly haven't been showing how much we love you Weiss. We wouldn't be better off if you were… gone, and you sure as hell deserve to be on this team." Weiss turned her head, her ponytail rubbing against Yang's face. She tightened her grip. "And if we're being honest, us not getting along after Blake left is more my fault than yours."

Weiss laughed, the sound lacking any kind of mirth.

"Really? Me being a, what was it you called me, didn't factor into it?" Yang sighed and thought back.

"A bigoted little twat."

"Yes, that. I'm sure I am more at fault than you."

"Look, I'm not saying you didn't have a shitty opinion about things last semester but you gotta stop beating yourself up over it. We all fuck up and we learn from it and grow. But it was more my fault Weiss. I'm the one who hit you, I kept instigating those fights, and I honestly still resented you a little when I apologized at the docks."

"But-" Yang gave a squeeze.

"Let me finish." She took a breath as she figured out how to say the next part. "I didn't really like you when we first met. I thought you were some rich Atlas bitch who's gotten everything she's ever wanted served to her on a silver platter. And your views of the Faunus certainly didn't help things. But when Blake left I think I was taking some of my own problems out on you." Weiss turned her head again and Yang raised her head from her shoulder. Ice met amethyst. "You remember what I said about Ruby and I's mom?" Weiss nodded.

"Ruby's mother passed after your mother did." It was Yang's turn to laugh. She shook her head.

"My mom didn't die; she abandoned me." Weiss' mouth parted slightly. "She left after I was born and I only found out I had a different mom when I overheard my dad talking about it with my uncle. I've been looking for her my entire life, and I guess I don't really react well when people in my life leave for no real reason. I didn't believe you when you said Blake just left because she was a Faunus; I wanted a reason, some complicated reason, why she would leave us, and I took that anger out on you. That wasn't right of me, and I want you to know that I truly am sorry. I…" She smiled. "I really care about you Weiss, and I want you to know that I'm here for you. And I'm sure Blake and Ruby would tell you the same thing."

Yang heard the door to the ballroom open and she looked over at the door. Ruby stood in the doorway, her head cocked to the side as she looked at them.

"Am I interrupting something?" Yang flashed a mischievous smile and lifted Weiss into the air, giving her a squeeze. Weiss yelped in surprise.

"Nope! Just giving Weiss a hug." Weiss began to squirm in Yang's arms.

"Put me down!" Yang let her go, and she landed with a thud onto the wood floor. Weiss glared at her but Yang noticed the smirk she was trying to hide. "Next time you try that Xiao Long I will freeze you." Yang crossed her arms as Weiss stood up.

"Bring it, Ice Queen." Weiss said nothing but offered her a confidant smile.

Ruby walked over to them, and took the seat at the table. She exhaled and leaned back in the seat.

"You guys have any ideas for Blake? She seems even more moody than she was before." She saw Weiss' shoulders stiffen at the mention of Blake and Yang frowned.

"I think I might have an idea. Tell her to meet me in our dorm in the afternoon." Ruby cocked an eyebrow.

"And why would she do that?" she asked.

"Tell I have info on the Fang or something, just get her there." Ruby shrugged but pulled out her scroll and started to text.

Yang turned back to Weiss.

"You said you wanted doilies on the tables, right?" She smiled as Weiss' eyes lit up.

* * *

She hummed to herself as she walked through Beacon's crowded courtyard. The sun was beating down and lots of students were huddled together in little groups, talking loudly.

She had explored a good part of Beacon already; the water gardens being her favorite place with all of the pretty birds and insects. She wasn't entirely sure where else she could go and explore. She saw a splash of neon blue and sandy blonde amongst the students, and with a happy smile, walked over to the two boys she had met a little while ago.

"Salutations!" She beamed at the duo. Sun raised a hand in greeting as Neptune looked her over.

"You're… Penny, right?"

"Yes I am! You two look like you are doing much better. It does not seem like you were in the hospital for very long." Sun laughed.

"Yeah. We don't like staying in those kinda places for very long. Our aura's can heal almost anything, why have bunch of quacks poking and prodding ya with needles and crap."

Penny nodded her head in understanding; she was not aware that they allowed ducks to work in hospitals but she would much rather let a doctor (engineer?) heal her than a water fowl.

"May I ask why you two are back here at Beacon? Have you decided to become students?" It was Neptune who laughed this time.

"Nah, we heard Yang was planning a dance or a party or something and we wanted to check it out." She cocked her head to the side. Yang and Weiss were planning a 'dance' but she still was not entirely sure what that was. She knew what dancing was, she had done it a few times while listening to her father's old records, but how did one plan a dance?

"What is a dance?" she asked. They looked at her in disbelief before glancing to one another.

"You been living under a rock or something?" Sun asked. She shook her head.

"No. I grew up on a military base in Atlas. My father was very restrictive of what I was allowed to see of the outside world."

"Shit, really?" Neptune asked. Penny nodded. Neptune rubbed the back of his head as Sun rubbed his chin.

"My father loved me very much and didn't want me worrying about things he didn't want me knowing." She said. They looked at each other again.

"Well, in that case. A dance is where a bunch of people dress up and go somewhere with a person they like and dance to some music. There's food, drinks, and all the usual party stuff." Neptune said.

"I see. And you two are going together?" she asked.

"Well duh. We're a couple." Sun said.

"I see," she said. She heard a grumble come from Sun's stomach and she and Neptune looked at him. He smiled sheepishly.

"You think they're still serving breakfast?" he asked. Neptune shrugged and Penny checked her scroll. The cafeteria would not close for a few more minutes.

"Indeed they are! Would you mind if I accompanied you? I would like you two to keep teaching me." Neptune shrugged again and put his hands in his hoodies pockets. He started to walk in the direction of the cafeteria.

"Sure, long as Sun doesn't mind." Sun flashed Penny a grin and motioned for her to follow them.

"Course not! Come on Penny, we know a ton of cool stuff." She followed after the duo, swinging her arms as she walked and starting to hum again.

Someone she liked….

* * *

"You sure this looks like it fits?" Jaune asked as he inspected himself in the mirror. He had on was a basic sleeveless mid-length white dress.

"It looks fine, Jaune," Ren said. Jaune turned around. Ren was wearing a pink qipao with black flower patterns tracing up the dress. Jaune sighed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." He said. Ren cocked an eyebrow as Jaune played with the hem of the skirt.

"Something on your mind?" He asked.

"Yeah, kinda," Jaune said. He sighed. "It's Pyrrha." Ren gave him a look.

"What about her?" Jaune rubbed his arm and looked away.

"I'm head over heels for her, and I'm just a little bummed she's going to the dance with someone else. I mean, I'm glad she found someone she likes and as long as she's happy I'll be happy but I wanted that guy to be me."

"If you felt that way about her, then why didn't you tell her sooner?" Ren asked.

"I didn't want to make things awkward between us. I mean she's beautiful, smart, funny, talented, and you've seen her fight, she's amazing. Why would someone like her want to be with a guy like me?" Ren clasped Jaune's shoulder and Jaune looked up at him.

"Don't sell yourself short my friend. You're a catch, and I'm sure you'll find someone that cares about you the way you care about Pyrrha." Jaune smiled.

"Thanks Ren," he said. He looked back down at his dress. "You're sure this looks okay?" he asked. Ren rolled his eyes.

* * *

Yang opened the door to her dorm and was both relieved and struck with anxiety at who was waiting for her. Blake had her arms crossed and had apparently been pacing. She was stopped and was staring at her now, her bloodshot, amber eyes fixed on her. Yang entered the room and closed the door.

"Ruby said you found so-" she trailed off when she heard Yang lock the door. She scowled. "What is this?" she asked as Yang went over to her bed and sat down.

"A talk," she said, and patted the spot next to her. Blake glared at her, ignoring the spot she had motioned to.

"If you're going to try and get me to stop then you're wasting your breath," she said.

"You don't have to stop, none of us have, we just want you to slow down, take a breather, and relax before you kill yourself."

"We don't have time to slow down or relax, Yang."

"We do, Blake. We need to relax a little in between missions."

"What we _need_ is to stop the White Fang."

"We're going to, Blake. You just gotta be patient." Blake scoffed. She patted the spot again. "Now can ya take a seat and listen to what I have to say." Blake's eyes darted to the door, then to the window before she sighed and sat down on the floor, crossing her legs.

"Fine, let's hear it."

"You remember what I said about Ruby and I's mom?" Blake's eyes drifted upward for a moment before she looked back at her and nodded.

"Ruby's mom's name was Summer, and she was the best mother you could ask for." Blake frowned and looked away at 'mother' before returning her attention. "She was a Huntress, and when she wasn't out hunting down Grimm, she was at home taking care of us; baking cookies, playing games, reading us bed time stories and tucking us in for bed." Yang smiled as the memories of that warm, nurturing smile flooded back to her. The taste of those chocolate chip cookies. She took a breath, and steeled herself for the next part. "And then one day she left on a mission. And my Uncle Qrow showed up a month later, her damaged rifle and blood soaked cloak with him."

"Ruby was really little and I don't think she fully understood what being dead meant, but she was crying all the time, every day for I don't even remember how long. And my dad, he just…" She closed her eyes. "He shut down. I couldn't get him out of bed most days; he was too depressed to do anything. He ended up getting fired from Beacon and we started to get short on money. I had to take care of Ruby; helping her with school, and with some of her own personal issues. But I also had to become the money maker in the family and I had to turn to some… less than savory places to get the money."

The dim lights of the underground. The crowd of sweaty people; cheering, screaming, begging for blood. The pain as her opponent beat into her. The taste of copper as a tooth was knocked out. The crunch as she broke her opponent's arm, his screams of agony and the roar of the crowd. The hungry look in the man's eyes as he looked over her adolescent body as she collected the lien from him, the way he licked his lips whenever he saw her. The smell of piss and shit and dying homeless people. The ache when she got home and collapsed in the bed her and Ruby shared. The dread knowing she would have to do it all over again the next night.

"And it was during all of this that I found out that Ruby and I had separate moms, and that was why my dad shut down the way he did." Blake's mouth was agape slightly as she watched Yang.

"I came down one night and I overheard my dad talking with my uncle. About how Summer dying was worse than Raven leaving him. And my uncle asking if he was ever going to tell us we weren't true blood sisters. I was so shocked and I remember going back to my room, hugging Ruby and crying, Ruby was my sister, my true, full blooded sister, and I refused to believe my father would hide that from me. The next day I found my dad in his bed. I made him tell me the truth about Ruby and I's mom. He wouldn't tell me everything, other than yes, Ruby and I were half-sisters, and that my mom left right after I was born and she's never been seen since."

"Why?" Blake asked. Yang chortled, the sound joyless.

"Question of my life. I hounded my dad about Raven all the time but he refused to talk about her. And then one day while I was looking up in the attic I found an old picture. It was of my dad's old team, STRQ. Summer, Qrow, and my mom and dad had all been a part of a team."

"I knew what my mom looked like, I knew how to fight, I thought I could take on the world and look for her. So when my dad fell asleep I put some food and Ruby in a wagon and went on my way. I was so stupid. I must have walked for hours because I was completely exhausted when night came and I stopped at an abandoned building. And that's when I noticed those burning red eyes. They never made a sound as they slinked out of the darkness, and I was too exhausted and terrified to do anything but stand there as they attacked." Yang shrugged off her jacket and turned so her back was clearly visible to Blake. She heard Blake inhale sharply.

"I got that when I threw myself over Ruby when they attacked. It broke my aura with one swing. I thought I was gonna die; the pain was more excruciating then any match I had been in at my fight ring. I remember Ruby waking up from her nap and the terror in her eyes when she saw me cowering over her, my blood running down my back, a Beowolf over my shoulder." She turned back towards Blake and put her jacket back on. "As luck would have it, my uncle came out of nowhere and killed those Grimm, and got me medical help before it got infected."

"Ruby and I should be dead, and it would of have been because of my stupid decision to not take a break on finding that woman." Blake stood up, and uncrossed her arms.

"Yang, I'm sorry to hear that all of that happened to you. That's… pretty terrible, and I understand what you're trying to tell me but this is different." Yang scowled and stood up, closing the distance between the two of them. Blake was not intimidated. "I'm not some little girl looking for her runaway mom, I need to sto-"

"We're not asking you to give up your fight! I have never stopped looking for my mother, and I will not rest until I know why that bitch left me! But I refuse to let her control my life!" Blake snarled as she answered.

"You don't understand, Yang! I am the only person who can do this! I have to be the one to stop them!" Yang felt her hair ignite and she grabbed Blake by her collar, lifting her so she was eye level, their noses pressed against the other.

"No, _you_ don't understand, Blake! If you keep going like this you are going to die! What would you do if Torchwick walked through that door?" Blake struggled against Yang's grip, clawing into her hands.

"I'd kill him!"

"You. Would. Die." Yang spun around and slammed Blake against the railing of the bunk beds.

"I would kill him, Yang!" Blake insisted.

"You're too weak to even get out of my grip, you'd have no chance against him or any of the White Fang." Blake began to squirm in her grip.

"Let me go!"

"Not until you stop acting stupid!" Blake squirmed and fought against Yang's vice grip for a few minutes before finally giving up. Yang lowered her back down to the ground and took a step back. She didn't realize Blake was crying until she saw Blake's shudder and wipe at her eyes. "Blake?" Blake turned away, and let her hair fall over her face.

"I'm sorry. You and Weiss only wanted to help me. And… and Ruby is right, I don't try and talk to you guys about my problems. I'm a terrible team mate, I'm a colossal bitch, and I'm so sorry I had to put all of you through this. You all deserve better." Yang felt the fire in her hair die and she embraced Blake, nuzzling the back of her head.

"It's okay to want to stop the White Fang, Blake. But you can't let that desire control you. And it's okay to come to us for help; you don't have to hurt yourself, or run away, or distance yourself. You're not a colossal bitch, or a bad team mate, and you definitely deserve to be on this team. We all love you Blake and we just want to help you. So please, take a breather and get some rest." She felt Blake inhale.

"Okay," she said. Yang smiled. She ended the hug and Blake turned towards her.

"Why don't you come with the rest of us to the dance tomorrow? We'll all be stag; it'll be fun." Blake shook her head.

"Dances aren't really my thing. They're too loud, too crowded, and I'm not big on party music." Yang nodded to show she understood.

"Okay. Well, stay in the dorm and rest or read. Just something to relax, okay?" Blake nodded. Yang gave her one last smile and went to the door.

* * *

The door opened and Weiss held her breath when Yang stepped out. She had heard shouting and thudding in the room and Ruby had to restrain her from bursting through the door when they heard the first shouts.

Yang shut the door behind her and leaned against it, exhaling in relief.

"How is she?" Ruby asked.

"Did it go okay? We heard yelling," Weiss asked. Yang nodded her head.

"Yeah, she should be fine now, hopefully. We still need to keep an eye on her to make sure she actually gets some rest and starts acting normal again." Yang crossed her arms. "I'm a little worried about tomorrow though, she said she won't go to the dance with us tomorrow. Which is fine if she isn't into that but she needs to get some rest, and if we're all gone then we can't be sure she's actually taking a break." Ruby rubbed her chin with her index finger as she thought. Weiss looked at the door.

"I could stay with her," she said. Yang looked at her, concern in her amethyst eyes.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Weiss?"

"Someone has to watch her, right?"

"Yeah but what about the dance? Don't you wanna go?" Weiss shook her head.

"I enjoy planning things more than actually going to them." Yang sighed and looked over at Ruby.

"If Weiss wants to watch her I don't have a problem with it," Ruby said. Yang uncrossed her arms and rested her hands on her hips.

"Fine. But give us a call if you need anything, okay Weiss?" Weiss gave her a smile.

"I will," she said. Yang checked her scroll. She motioned to the door with her thumb.

"Can you guys take care of her? I gotta finish prepping for the dance."

"Sure, no problem," Ruby said. Yang left them and Ruby opened the door.

Inside Blake had changed into her yukata. She didn't have her bow on and she was in her bed reading a well-worn book. Her eyes lifted up from the page and she nodded at them as they entered. Ruby went to her bed and started to read on her scroll. Weiss went to her desk and opened up a textbook. She was already prepared for the test in Azura's class but a little extra studying never hurt anyone.

The golden orange light filtering into the room slowly disappeared and was replaced with the pale white of moonlight. Weiss heard Ruby's scroll go off, the music grating and obnoxious to her ears.

"Hey Weiss?" Ruby asked.

"Hmm?" She looked back at Ruby. She was dangling her legs over the edge of her bed.

"I got a text from Penny. I'll be gone for a bit."

"Okay, don't be out too late." Ruby left and Weiss went back to studying.

It remained quiet in the dorm for a time and Weiss leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms, her back making several satisfying snaps and pops.

"No…" Blake mumbled. She looked back at Blake. She was sleeping but she looked like she was in pain. Sweat coated her face. Weiss got up from her chair.

"Blake?" Weiss asked softly. Blake turned over in her sleep before spinning back over, her face contorting with fear, her arms dangling off the edge of her bunk.

"Adam, please…" Blake said. Adam? Weiss slowly walked over to the bunk. "Weiss…" Blake mumbled. Weiss froze. She was dreaming about her?

Blake gasped and her eyes shot open, her breathing ragged. Her breathing slowed as she stared at Weiss' face.

"You okay, Blake?" Blake opened her mouth before closing it and shaking her head. "Do you want to talk about it?" Blake shook her head. Weiss looked at the dangling arm again and slipped her hand into Blake's. Blake squeezed her hand, running her thumb across the back of Weiss' hand, and shut her eyes.

"It was just a nightmare, Weiss. I'll be fine." She said. She opened one eye, amber met ice. "But could we stay like this, at least for a little while?" Weiss smiled and nodded. She didn't need to study anymore anyway.

* * *

Moonlight shone through the branches of the tree Penny was standing under. Fireflies danced through the air as she rocked back and forth on her heels. It was a little humid but it was not nearly as hot as it had been earlier in the day.

She heard Ruby stumble into the clearing before she saw her.

"Penny? What are you doing out here? Why'd you ask me to-" She trailed off when Penny pulled out what she had been hiding behind her back. It was a bouquet of flowers she liked, most of them red, that she had picked from the water gardens. She giggled as Ruby's eyes widened and her face turned as red as her cloak. "Penny?" she asked. Penny smiled and took a step forward, presenting the flowers to Ruby,

"Ruby Rose, I would like to go to the dance with you," she said. Ruby was slack jawed as she stared at Penny. She shakily pointed at herself.

"Me?" Penny nodded her head and handed the floors to Ruby. The flowers shook in her hand as she looked down at them and then back up at Penny. "You're… asking me out?"

"I am! You are supposed to ask people that you like to dances, right?"

"Well, y-yeah, but I'm just surprised you like me that way." Ruby stammered out.

"Why wouldn't I? You are my friend, Ruby. You did not consider me unnatural when you learned I was a machine. You are helping me learn what it means to be a real girl. It appears only logical to me that I would like you." Penny stepped forward again, slipping her hand into Ruby's free hand, interlocking their fingers. Ruby's blush deepened but she did not break away or step back. "Will you go with me, Ruby?" she asked.

Ruby swallowed before she smiled and nodded her head.

"Yes."

* * *

Ruby played with the hem of her skirt nervously as she posed for the picture Weiss wanted to take.

"Ruby, stop fidgeting and smile!" Weiss said, frowning at her as she held her scroll in front of her face. Ruby let her hand fall to her sides, and gave Weiss a smile. She felt Penny clasp her hand and the smile on her face became genuine. Weiss lowered the scroll and beamed at them. "Oh this is just lovely! Have fun you two!"

"We'll try," Ruby said. They left the dorm and made their way to the ball room. They held onto each other's hands as they made their way there, Ruby's hand feeling rather sweaty and her heart racing, a knot in her gut.

"Ruby? Are you okay?" Penny asked. Ruby looked at her, meeting her green eyes.

"Yeah, I'm just really nervous. I've… I've never been asked out or gone to a dance before." Penny smiled at her.

"Neither have I! We can figure out how to do this together!" Ruby laughed a little at that and they resumed their walk to the ballroom.

They opened the doors to the ballroom and Ruby heard her sister squeal in delight, clapping her hands.

"You look beautiful, Ruby! You two are so cute!" Ruby rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"Thanks, sis," she said. Yang smiled and motioned to the ballroom.

"Have fun you two! Don't keep her out too late, okay Penny?" Yang winked. Ruby blushed and Penny saluted and they made their way into the ballroom.

White tablecloths covered the tables and gentle waltzing music was playing. A dj stand had been set up at the other end of the building, and there was a buffet table filled with sodas, chips, dip, and a variety of finger foods. White roses and fluttering candles were situated on each table. The room was neither dimly lit nor brightly lit, and white streamers ran across the ceiling. People were sitting at the tables, clumped near the food table, but most were on the dance floor, waltzing.

Ruby let Penny take her to the dance floor where Penny let go of her hand and spun on her heels, facing her. Weiss had done her makeup and Ruby felt her pulse quicken as they looked at each other. The green of her eyes had been accentuated and so had her freckles. Penny smiled at her.

"So Ruby, how do we dance?" Penny asked.

"I'm… not entirely sure. I've never been much of dancey, fancy kinda girl." Penny cocked her head to the side and pursed her lips before looking at the dancing couples around them.

"Why don't we follow their lead?"

"S-sure. Just don't be surprised if I step on your feet." Penny took her hand and placed their hands like the other couples around them.

"I will not mind, Ruby. My feet are made of metal." Ruby giggled as they started to dance.

* * *

The door shut behind Ruby and Penny and Weiss turned to her.

"Is there anything you would like to do, Miss Belladonna?"

"I was gonna read. Listen to some music, maybe." Weiss pulled out her scroll.

"I was going to watch some movies. Let me know if it's too loud for you." Blake climbed into her bed and got situated and resumed where she had left off in the book yesterday. She heard the movie start up. It was a musical and she could hear Weiss humming along to the music, softly singing along to the lyrics. Blake grinned as she read and listened to the movie and Weiss' singing. She felt the grin slowly disappear as she remembered why Weiss was in the room with her, what she had said to her the other day.

After a little while Blake cleared her throat. The film stopped and she heard Weiss' bed creak as she moved from the bed.

"Everything okay, Blake?" she asked. Blake nodded and put a bookmark in the book. She took a breath and looked down at Weiss.

"I wanted to apologize to you," she said. Weiss' expression fell.

"For… for the other day I assume?" Blake climbed out of the bed and stood in front of her bed. She shook her head.

"Not just that. What I said then was wrong and I regret it but it's more than just that. I'm sorry for putting you and the others through this. I should have told you guys what was bothering me to begin with. I shouldn't have punched the wall and avoided talking about it with you guys. I shouldn't have snapped at all of you the way I was. I even made you miss the dance you worked so hard on. The things I've said and done these past few weeks have been awful and I hope you can forgive me." Weiss climbed out of her bed and went over to Blake, looking up at the taller girl.

"I forgive you Blake. But I should have noticed those sign's, it wasn't right of me to take you to an environment like that."

"But I shouldn't have snapped at you like I did. I shouldn't have said that to you. You didn't hear what the people in there were saying, the way they looked at my clothes, you had no way of knowing they were like that." Weiss shook her head.

"But I should have. I grew up privileged in the wealthiest kingdom on Remnant. I've been to so many events and parties and listened to so many people say such horrible things about your people, I should have known better. I should have known a store with that kind of cliental would have those kind of views."

"Regardless, I shouldn't have said that to you and then just run away. You have been changing Weiss." She gave Weiss a smile. "I wouldn't mind visiting that restaurant you picked out again." Weiss smiled back.

"I'll keep that in mind the next time we're in Vale. And don't worry about me missing the dance. I've been to more than enough in my life. Spending a quiet night at home with you is much more fun." Blake blushed and her smile grew. Weiss started to play with a piece of her hair.

"And there's something I've been meaning to ask you." Blake cocked her head to the side, genuinely curious.

"What is it?" Weiss looked her in the eye.

"Could you teach me about your people?" Blake could not believe her ears and the pride and excitement that surged through her.

"I would love too," she said. Weiss looked happy at that.

* * *

Yang lifted her legs up one at a time, stretching them out. Her time at the podium was almost done and then she could head to the dance floor and have some fun.

The ballroom doors opened and Yang greeted the trio with a smile.

"You're just in time; Stupid Thugs were about to go on." Emerald walked past her and towards the dance floor. The short one with black pigtails and green eyes flashed her a smile as Mercury said

"We wouldn't miss this party for the world."

 **And that's it. Let me know what you think! With school done for now I should be able to pump out the next few chapters (and requests that have been piling up) out at a faster pace.**


	23. Dance Dance Infiltration

**And here's the next chapter! Very, very different from what I'm used to writing but I hope you enjoy it!**

She watched her students dance with a small smile. She remembered being young and the only thing having to worry about was finding a date. Her smile, what little of one there was, disappeared as she saw Ruby dancing with that horrible machine. She felt disgust well up in her throat as it and Ruby smiled at one another, laughing together as they struggled to waltz.

"Care to dance?" It was Ironwood, and he was offering her his gloved hand. She eyed it before shaking her head.

"I'd rather get mauled by an Ursa," she said. She felt a twinge of pride as he retracted his hand, his gaze steely.

"Very well," he said. He stood next to her, watching the students. She crossed her arms.

"I noticed you brought your abomination with you," she said.

"Penny came here on her own, I had nothing to do with her being here." She glanced over at him and saw him smirk as he watched it dance. "And she seems to be quite smitten with young Ms. Rose." Her lip curled as she watched it.

"Let's hope for her sake it finds someone else."

* * *

He took a sip from his drink as he watched people swarm the dance floor, crowding around the stage where the dj stand was waiting.

"Trying to steal my look?" a familiar voice asked. Jaune looked over and saw Yang looking at him, a grin on her face. She was wearing a sleeveless white dress, the skirt showing off her legs. It was less conservative than his own dress but it was the same shade of white and the general design looked similar. He grinned back at her as she took a place next to him, leaning against the table he was standing in front of.

"Maybe I am, Yang? We both know I look better in this than you." Yang laughed.

"In your dreams, Arc." Yang made herself a glass. Jaune took another sip before asking.

"You come with anyone?"

"Nah," she said. "You?" He shook his head. She held up her glass and he clinked it with his own. "To stags," she said. He drank deep, draining the glass. Yang looked off into the crowd, a content smile on her face. She pointed out a girl in a black dress and red stockings, a silver rose necklace hanging around her neck. He cocked his head at the red head she was talking too; her light green dress and freckles running down her shoulders and arms.

"I'm glad Ruby found a date though." Yang said. Jaune smiled as Ruby and Penny talked; they looked happy.

"Where are Blake and Weiss?" Jaune asked.

"Blake doesn't like parties and Weiss wanted to keep her company." Jaune raised an eyebrow.

"I'm guessing Ren and Nora came together?" Yang asked. He nodded. "And Pyrrha?" He looked away, and took a sip, pretending to drink from his empty cup.

"She came with someone," he finally managed, his voice muffled with the cup on his lips. Yang cocked an eyebrow.

"Really? Someone asked her out?" He shrugged and lowered the cup.

"I guess." He looked over at the other side of the room, and saw a flash of crimson outside. Pyrrha was out on the balcony, pacing, a worried look on her face. Where was her date? What kind of a guy ditches his date on the balcony? He set the empty cup down on the table. "Can you watch that for me?" he asked, not waiting for her reply.

* * *

She paced back and forth, playing with her hands before stopping at the railing.

 _Was I too vague back on the roof top? Did he not understand?_

"Pyrrha?" she spun around. He was on the balcony. He was here, he did understand! She smiled at him and stepped away from the railing. He rubbed his arm and looked around the balcony. "I saw you all alone out here and wanted to know where your date went. I'd like to at least know what kind of a guy my partner's dating."

Oh. He didn't.

"Well, the guy I'm interested in doesn't care that I'm a famous athlete. When we first met he didn't even know my name or how I could get into Beacon. And when I told him that I was the Mistral Champion he didn't suddenly start treating me any differently. He didn't put me on a pedestal or start bragging about how's he friends with me or start showering me with fake praise and affection." She stepped towards him. He kicked at noting, looking down at the floor.

"He sounds amazing."

 _Are all boys this dense?_

She stood in front of him, and slipped her hand into his. He looked up at her.

"Jaune, you're the guy I like. You're the date I had in mind." His eyes widened in disbelief.

"Me?" She nodded.

"But, don't you deserve someone better?" Her expression fell a bit; was she wrong about him, did he consider her different, too good for him because she was famous? He let go of her hand. "I mean, you're absolutely beautiful Pyrrha. You funny, you're smart, you're kind, and you're super talented in just about everything. Why me? I'm a huge screw up. I'm a cheat, I'm a liar, I'm spineless, and I'm terrible at pretty much everything I do. And I'm probably the most average looking guy here. What could you possible see in me that would make you like me that way?"

 _Does he really think about himself that way?_

"Well, aside from treating me like a person and not dehumanizing me because of my status, I think that you have a lot of courage; you were brave enough to take on Beacon's entrance exam without any kind of training. I think you're really humble; you came to me for help after you told me how you got into Beacon, and if I'm honest you ignore every good thing you've done to focus on the bad. You're a good friend; looking out for Weiss when Cardin was harassing her. And," she gave him a coy smile. "I think you're really cute."

He began to blush, and she slipped her hand back into his.

"So, Jaune Arc, will you be my date?" He squeezed her hand and smiled at her.

"Yeah, if you're sure you want me." She heard a cheer erupt from inside the ballroom and she looked over his shoulder to see Stupid Thugs take the stage. She was still amazed Weiss had gotten them to play here. Jaune looked back as well.

"Care to dance?" she asked. He looked back at her and nodded. With a smile she led the way to the dance floor.

* * *

She leaned over the railing and smiled as Penny danced in the crowd surrounding Stupid Thug's stage. She wasn't comfortable being in a crowd like that (at least one that didn't involve moshing) and she didn't really like that kinda music but she wanted her… girlfriend? to enjoy herself. She saw her sister take the spot next to her.

"Having fun?" she asked.

"Yeah! I'm really glad I came." She felt her sister wrap he arm around her shoulder. "You and Weiss did an amazing job."

"Ah it was nothing. Weiss did most of it." She heard her sister sigh. "Too bad she didn't get to experience any of it."

"You think they're doing okay? You hear from them at all?" Her sister shook her head, her hair rubbing against her.

"I haven't heard from them so I guess they're doing oaky." Ruby giggled as she watched Penny do the robot. She felt her sister let go of her shoulder. "So… you and Penny? You think it'll be serious?" Ruby turned to her sister.

"Maybe? I'm… I've never dated anyone before so I'm not entirely sure what to do." Yang chuckled.

"Something tells me it's probably the same for her. Just do what feels natural and be yourself."

Be herself…

She looked down at the silver rose necklace, an old necklace her mother had left behind, and she felt her expression fall. Yang titled her head to the side.

"You okay, Ruby?"

"Yeah, kinda."

"Kinda?"

"It's just… do you think mom would have been okay with… this?" she pointed at herself. Her sister blinked, confused.

"What? You being Goth? Ace?" She shook her head and realization dawned on her sister's face. She gave her a comforting smile and drew her into a hug again.

"Of course she would have been, Ruby." Ruby buried her face into her sister's shoulder and hugged her back.

"And Penny? Weiss, Blake? JNPR? SDVJ? The professors?" She felt her sister start to run a hand over her hair.

"I'm positive they'll all be okay with it when you tell them," she said. Ruby had a hard time believing that. Penny would probably understand and be okay with it but the others… she was worried about what they would do or think of her when she finally decided to tell them. Her sister stopped petting her head. She broke the hug and held onto Ruby's shoulders, looking down at her. "Do you want me to be there when you decide to tell them?" She nodded. "Even if others reject you for who you are you'll always have me, Ruby." Her sister gave her one more hug, and Ruby returned it.

They broke their hug and Yang motioned over to Penny with her head.

"Go have some fun, Ruby." She nodded and turned to head towards the stairs. She stopped and turned back towards her sister.

"Yang?"

"Yeah?" Ruby smiled.

"Thanks for being so awesome." Her sister smiled back and gave her a thumbs up.

"No prob, sis!" With that Ruby turned towards the stairs.

* * *

"Well, what would you like to know?" Blake asked. Weiss' eyes flicked upwards as she thought for a moment.

"Well, what is Menagerie like? It's the home of the Faunus, right? I know that the Faunus were given it after the Great War and that humans tried to confine them there before the Faunus Revolution but it was your people's ancestral home, right? What kind of government does it have? What's its environment like?" Blake frowned.

"It _became_ the home of the Faunus. We were spread out on all the other kingdoms like you humans were but we didn't have a solid home in the old days. We had to travel a lot or humans would kill us, or enslave us." She tried to keep the venom out of her voice as she thought of what the humans who gave her people that island must have been thinking; their smug faces. "It's almost entirely desert; full of dangerous wildlife and plenty of Grimm. Aside from the settlements on the coast there aren't very many towns or anything. The city where I grew up was cramped and overflowing with people." Weiss' face fell as she listened.

"As for the government, we only really have the one big city and a handful of settlements on the outskirts, so there isn't a complex government system like in the other kingdoms, no Council, no Academy Headmasters. We just have a Chieftain and that title is hereditary, taken by the eldest child. The current Chief is Hōzuki Ghira." Weiss made a face at that name.

"Ghira… Wasn't that the name of the leader of the White Fang?" Blake nodded.

"He was the leader but has since resigned and let Sienna Khan take control. He was the founder of the White Fang, and under him it was just a peaceful protest organization. He saw how humans were still hateful towards our people even after the Revolution and wanted to sway people, get them to understand that humans and Faunus aren't too different. But it didn't get him very far and it wasn't until Khan took over that the White Fang started to get results."

"I… I see," Weiss said. She cocked her head to the side. "Do you think he is a good leader for your people?" Blake was taken back and looked away.

Her father's face as he screamed at her to leave if she truly believed Adam and Khan were doing the right thing. Her mother yelling at him to calm down. Her fear and anger as she ran, leaving the only home she had known.

She looked back at Weiss, meeting her eyes.

"He… he's a good man; he cares about his people and just wants what's best for them." She rubbed her arm sleeve. "Anything else you wanna know?" Weiss nodded.

"The Faunus don't actually worship the Grimm, do they?" Blake chortled.

"No, that's just a myth. We worship the Ishvara; our holy pantheon. Most of them are animals so when the humans needed more excuses to kill us they made up that our gods were actually Grimm. Though our main creator god, Mother Devi, is our most human looking deity, aside from her cat head."

"Interesting. Do your people believe in an afterlife, like the Brothers Church, or reincarnation, like the Followers of Dust?"

"Reincarnation." Blake looked Weiss over as a thought popped in her head. "What are your religious belief, if you don't mind me asking?" Weiss smiled.

"I don't mind at all. I'm a Follower of Dust." That made sense, given her family's history with Dust. But the Faunus being Grimm worshipers was mostly permutated by the Brothers Church. Then again, given her father's views of the Faunus it wasn't too surprising he would believe that and tell Weiss that. Weiss looked away, and rested her hands behind her back.

"Do… do Faunus not like having their Faunus parts touched?" Blake held back a laugh. She had never had her ears called that before.

"We generally don't like strangers touching our 'Faunus parts'. But most of us are okay with allowing people we trust touch them." Was Weiss blushing?

"If you want to stop wearing your bow in the dorm room, I really wouldn't mind. I noticed you stopped wearing it before we go to bed but if you want to let them out more I won't complain." Weiss looked back at her and smiled. "I think you look good without your bow," she said.

Blake blushed; she had heard every insult under the sun about her ears but it was still rare for a human to compliment them.

"Thank you, Weiss. That really means a lot to me." She reached up to her bow, and slowly undid it. She flexed her ears; it always felt good to let them breathe every now and again. Weiss' eyes darted up to her ears and her smile grew slightly. "Anything else you want to know?" Weiss chewed on her lip for a moment before shaking her head.

"I think I'm good at the moment. Thank you, Blake, this has been very informative." Blake gave a smile.

"Any time, Weiss," she said.

* * *

She rested her head on his shoulder, the music blaring at the ballroom audible even from the water gardens. Ren couldn't handle loud noises too well and yeah she would have liked to be on the dance floor showing everyone up but he was more important.

"You doing okay, Ren?" she asked.

"I'm fine, Nora." He rested his head on top of hers. "And thank you for staying." He said. "I know it can be hard missing events like this because of me."

She slipped her hand into his and gave a gentle squeeze.

"We've always been together. Some party is not nearly important as you, Ren." She smiled, and nuzzled his shoulder. "Besides, this is much more comfortable then getting grinded on by some random person." Ren chuckled.

She felt him move his head and then a soft set of lips kiss the top of her head.

"Boop," he said. She felt her cheeks grow warm and she raised their held hands and kissed his hand.

"Boop," she said.

* * *

He hardly noticed the ring of people that had formed around them as they danced. He only had his eyes on him; the way his body moved with the rhythm of the music. The flash of his electric blue hair as the lights flashed over them.

His face was slick with sweat, his movements in perfect sync with the rhythm of the music. Their eyes locked; a deep need in his blue eyes.

Sun gave him a toothy grin and motioned with his tail for him to get closer. Neptune gave him a nod and an excited grin.

He heard the crowd 'oooo' as they got closer, their bodies touching as they danced. Sun used the tip of his tail to trail up from Neptune's chest to his lips, and bit his lip. Neptune grinned, and put his hands on Sun's shoulders.

They leaned forward, their lips meeting, the crowd's cheers in their ears.

* * *

She hummed along as the film came to a close, the two leads dancing together as they sang their final duet. She'd watched this film dozens of times growing up and it still hadn't lost its charm or the feeling it gave her when she watched it. She looked up at Blake as the credits began to roll. She never did ask Blake why she didn't want to go to the dance. She cleared her throat, and Blake's ears twitched before she looked over at her.

"Yes, Weiss?"

"Why did you not want to go to the dance?" Blake bookmarked her book and set it down in her lap.

"Dances and parties aren't really my kind of thing. They're too loud, the music is obnoxious, and I don't like being in a crowd full of people I don't know bumping into me, or rubbing up against me. Everyone gets all sweaty and it's gross having a stranger's fluids all over you." Weiss nodded in understanding; she had never been to any kind of 'traditional' school dance, do she had no idea if they were really as bad as Blake was making it sound. But she had been to several dances and parties after her concerts, and they had all been pleasant, aside from having to dance with the suitors her father wanted her to take an interest in.

"I see," Weiss said. She looked back down at her scroll, the credits rolling, her mind drifting back to the dances she had to do with those smug boys. They didn't care about her, not as a person, not as a woman, they only cared about her family's money and the privilege that would come with wooing her and having her name. Her nose wrinkled in disgust as she thought of them.

"I take it you didn't like the ending?" Blake asked.

"Huh?" Weiss looked over at Blake. Blake motioned towards her scroll, to the rolling credits.

"You made a face," she said.

"Oh. I was just thinking about how I haven't had a good dance experience either." A thought struck Weiss as the music playing during the credits changed. She exited out of the film and set her scroll off to the side before sitting on the edge of her bed. "Would you care to dance?"

Blake's ears stood up and her cheeks turned red.

"Here?" Weiss nodded. "Why?" she asked.

"All my memories of dancing where with men my father was trying to set me up with. They didn't really care about me, just my name and my money. And… I don't know if you're aware but I'm also… not straight." Blake cocked her head to the side.

"You're gay?" Weiss nodded.

"I am, though I haven't come out to my family. So those dances were even less fun than you can imagine." She gave Blake a smile. "And I thought since we both have had bad experiences with parties that we could enjoy it in our own way." Blake turned and sat on the edge of her bed, her legs dangling off the edge.

"I suppose," she said. "What did you have in mind?"

"I was just going to put on some music we can both agree on and dance."

"That…" she smiled slightly. "Actually doesn't sound too bad." She leapt down from her bed, landing without a sound. Weiss grabbed her scroll and stood up.

Weiss cycled through the music on her scroll before finding an appropriate song. She set her scroll down on the bookcase as the music began to play. She offered her hand. Blake hesitated before slipping her hand into Weiss'.

"You know how to ballroom dance I assume?" Weiss asked as she placed her other hand on Blake's waist. Blake gave her a grin.

"I'm a fast learner." Weiss grinned back, and began to waltz.

Blake wasn't kidding, after stepping on her feet a few times she was matching Weiss' movements almost flawlessly. They moved together with the music, offering each other smiles as danced.

The song came to an end, faster than Weiss wanted it to, and Weiss let go of Blake's waist, and tried to let go of Blake's hand. Blake squeezed and Weiss looked up at her. Her ears twitched as Blake met her gaze.

"Maybe we could dance for a little while longer?" Weiss smiled.

"That sounds lovely."

* * *

She made her way through the crowd of dancing people, the pounding bass of the music giving her a headache the further into the crowd she went. Ugh, why couldn't they have picked better music for this party?

She saw Penny in the crowd, and she smiled; she looked like she was enjoying herself. They couldn't be playing for more than a couple more minutes, she could wait till they were done to hang out with Penny again.

She exited the crowd and left the building. It was warm out and there was a bit of a breeze. The stars and moon were hidden behind dark clouds. She took a deep breath and felt her body relax as she exhaled.

"Huh?" There was a flash of movement on the rooftops across from the ballroom. She squinted her eyes; she could make out a figure in dark clothes running across the rooftop before disappearing from view. Wasn't Beacon's Cross Continental Transit System that way? She scowled and made her way in the direction that the shadow had been heading.

She reached the front of the CCT, a sense of unease settling in. She took a step towards the stairs, when she noticed a leg sticking out of the bushes. She walked over to the bushes, parting them.

"Hey, are yo-" she screamed and fell backwards. The man was an Atlas soldier, blood dribbling down his chin and his neck was twisted to an unnatural angle.

She started to hyperventilate as she scrambled to her feet; that man was dead, someone had murdered him, at her school. She backed away from the body, shaking her head, her hands shaking.

Whoever did this had to still be nearby. She took a deep breath, held it, and then exhaled. She pulled her scroll out and punched in a few numbers. She looked back and could barely make out her rocket locker soaring through the air. A moment later her locker crashed down in front of the CCT, opening up and raising Crescent Rose out of the locker. She grabbed her weapon, the familiar feel of the metal comforting her and helping steady her nerves. Whoever had thought of rocket lockers was a genius.

She turned back towards the CCT, and after a deep breath, she entered.

Bile rose up in the back of her throat as she walked in. There were four bodies, all of them soldiers. One lay in a puddle of his own blood, a bullet hole in his chest. Another was slumped against the railing on the stairs, his torso contorted and bent; his spine snapped in two. She gagged at the third body. His belly had been cut open, the wound cauterized, his spilled innards charred and blackened. The fourth's helmet had been caved in, and a puddle of blood surrounded his head.

She stepped around the bodies and puddles of blood, walked up the stairs, and pressed the button to call the elevator. She heard a ding and the doors opened. She grimaced.

The walls of the elevator were smeared in blood and bullet holes peppered the walls and ceiling. The bodies of two soldiers were slumped on the ground; one had a gaping charred hole in his neck, and the other a multitude of smoldering stab wounds in his stomach. The cramped elevator reeked of copper as she stepped into it.

She held her breath as the elevator ascended. She felt herself start to grow dizzy before the elevator stopped and the doors opened. She exhaled the stale air and sucked in fresh, not from a blood drenched elevator, air. The room was dark aside from the illumination from the computer screens. They all glowed an ominous green, a black queen's chess piece flickering on the monitors. She swallowed, her throat dry, as she walked towards the receptionist desk.

The computer screens went dead and the room was enveloped in total darkness. Ruby tightened her grip on her scythe.

A flash of bright orange and her eyes widened as several flaming spears were hurled at her. She leapt out of the way, taking cover behind a desk. She peeked around the edge and saw a shadow moving through the darkness. Orange eyes burned from the shadow's face and she saw two swords form in the shadows hands, the blades glowing orange hot, illuminating the shadow's black clothes.

She stood up and fired three rounds at the shadow; head, throat, heart. The shadow deflected each shot with her swords, her speed almost inhuman. Ruby stepped back as the shadow lunged at her, her blades an orange blur as she swung. She dodged them, feeling the heat of the blades as they missed. She swung her scythe, hoping to connect. She hit nothing and the glow of the blades disappeared. Her head swiveled to and fro as she strained to see the shadow. She heard a ding and spun towards the sound, firing off several rounds.

The door to the elevator opened and General Ironwood walked into the room, looking more than a little miffed. Ruby noticed the fresh bullet holes marking the wall behind him. The computer terminals around her flickered back to life, the green glow gone, and the lights in the room came on. The glare the general gave her was icy and she had to resist the urge to squirm under his harsh gaze.

"Ms. Rose, would you kindly tell me what you are doing here? And why you tried to shoot me?"

 **And that's it! Now fair warning there's gonna be about 3 chapters of nothing but rwby/jnpr interactions before we get back to the plotline.**


	24. Confessions

**And here's the next chapter! Sorry for the delay, this one... got pretty hard to write in some parts.**

She fidgeted in the seat in front of him, sitting on her hands. He narrowed his eyes.

"And you're sure they were female?" he asked. She hesitated before nodding.

"I couldn't get a good look at them, but they looked like a girl, and they had bright orange eyes." Ruby looked away. "Those men… they're…they're really dead, aren't they?" Ironwood's face softened. He rested a hand on Ruby's shoulder, rubbing his thumb, trying to comfort her.

"They are. I'm sorry you had to see that, Ruby." Her gaze remained on the floor.

The door opened and Ironwood looked over, moving his hand back to his side. Glynda and Ozpin stood in the doorway, fury in Glynda's eyes. Glynda stormed into the room, crouching next to Ruby, resting her hand on Ruby's knee.

"Ruby, are you okay?" Ruby looked at her professor and nodded.

"I really want to go my dorm; I'm really tired." Glynda gave her a comforting smile, and stood up.

"I'll escort you back to the dorms." She glared at Ironwood, before giving a courteous nod to Ozpin. "General, Ozpin." She left the room, Ruby trailing her. Ozpin said nothing as he entered the room and closed the door. He took the seat, resting his came across his lap.

"Do you know what they were after?" Ironwood shook his head.

"I'm having the CCT's computers scanned and analyzed but we aren't detecting any viruses, and it doesn't look like anything outside of the cameras were tampered with." He rubbed his chin. "They clearly wanted something but I think Ms. Rose might have interrupted before they could accomplish their goals." Ozpin sighed.

"Do we know who to look for?" Ironwood crossed his arms.

"Based off Ms. Rose's testimony; female, orange eyes, more than likely a student or looks young enough to pass as one." Ozpin nodded.

"I'll have Glynda send any students who match that description to my office." Ozpin stood up, leaning on his cane, and walked over to the door, opening it.

"I plan on calling Winter. If this attack was meant for Salem to learn where Amber is, we need to hurry." The door closed. Ozpin looked back at him. "Unless you have another candidate in mind."

"I'll contact Qrow. We must agree on the next Maiden unanimously before we go through with anything," he said. Ironwood stepped forward.

"Ozpin we can't keep delaying this; Salem's agents attacked Beacon! My men are dead!"

"I'm aware, James!" Ozpin snapped. "We _need_ to keep the Maidens out of her hands, but we can't just give that power to anyone. They have to be somebody worthy of that power and will do good, and not just be a pawn of ours." Ozpin turned back to the door, opening it. "But I will contact Qrow, and ask Glynda to compile a list of possible candidates. Hopefully Qrow can get here in a timely manner." He left the room and the door shut behind him.

Ironwood sighed and flexed his gloved hand as he stood in the dark room.

* * *

Ruby stopped in front of her dorm door, and turned to Glynda.

"Thank you, professor." Glynda gave her a warm smile.

"It's no problem, Ruby. The other professors and I are always here for you if you need to talk about what you saw tonight." Ruby looked down at her feet before embracing Glynda, hugging her tight. She felt Glynda return the hug, before letting go and ruffling her hair. Ruby stepped back, and sheepishly rubbed her arm.

"Sorry, professor. I just… needed to do that," she said. Glynda gave her another smile.

"I understand, Ruby. Get some rest, and if you need tomorrow off, just let me know." Ruby smiled back.

"Thank you, professor." She opened the door and walked in, closing the door behind her. She leaned back against the door as Penny, Yang, Weiss, and Blake all but appeared in front of her.

"Where have you been?"

"What happened?"

"Are you okay?"

"Why did you disappear like that?" Ruby rubbed her arm, and looked away from them.

"I stepped out for some air during the dance and I saw someone on the rooftops. I followed after them and got to the CCT, and…" She wrapped her arms around her torso "When I got there I found a soldier, a man, he was dead. I went in and the room was full of bodies and blood. The elevator was too. I got up to the top floor and got attacked by some woman with fire swords, and then she disappeared and then General Ironwood appeared and got interrogated by him." She looked up at them.

Penny looked shocked, her mouth agape slightly. Weiss had a hand over her mouth, her eyebrows raised in concern. Blake was frowning, and Yang-

She wheezed as her sister pulled her into a bear hug.

"You're okay, right?" Ruby wheezed and patted her sister on the back.

"Can't breathe," she said. Her sister released the death grip she had on her, and held onto her shoulders as she looked at her, concern on her face.

"You're not hurt are you?" Ruby shook her head.

"No, I- I think I'll be okay." She looked over at her friends. They all looked just as concerned as her sister. "I just want to shower and go to bed." Her sister hugged her again before letting her go.

"Okay, Ruby," she said.

She slipped past her sister and entered the bathroom. She exhaled, her shoulders sagging. She leaned against the door, and closed her eyes.

Blood

Charred organs

The smell of death

She lurched towards the sink, starting to vomit. Her body shook as the bile spewed out. She gasped for air, her eyes watering as she huddled over the sink. She spat, and looked up at her reflection.

Her heart dropped when she noticed the thin, coarse hair above her lip. She groaned, running a hand over the hair. Just what she needed.

She sighed, and went to the shower, turning it on, and letting the water warm up. She took off her dress, and felt disgust as she looked at her body.

Unable to stand looking at her body she entered the shower, the cold water sending a jolt down her spine. She stood under the shower head, the water beating down on her, running down her body.

Why did she have to be born this way?

She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on the tiles, the cold water running down her back. She felt warm water run down her cheeks.

She leaned back, and let the water run down her face. She started to wash, taking her time, rinsing the vomit taste from her mouth. With the last suds running down the drain she turned the water off, her body feeling a little less tense then when she stepped in. She dried off and grabbed her pajamas from the hamper, she could wear them a few more times before washing them.

She stepped out of the bathroom and saw Penny and her sister sitting on Weiss' bed, Weiss and Blake on Yang's bed. She cocked her head to the side in confusion as she looked at them.

"We know you said you wanted to go to bed but we need to ask some questions," Yang explained.

"Okay?" Ruby said, going over and taking a seat between her sister and girlfriend. Weiss held up a hand as she asked

"Could you make out any other details aside from it being woman?"

"Was it the White Fang?" Blake asked. Ruby shook her head.

"No, I don't think the mask she was wearing was a Grimm mask; it was black."

Burning orange, like a blazing fire.

Ruby scowled.

"She did have orange eyes though."

Orange eyes peering out from the shadows of a bulkhead.

Her scowl deepened.

"I've fought that woman before," she said. The bed squeaked as Yang shifted in her spot, looking at Ruby.

"How could you have done that?" she asked. Ruby rubbed her chin as she thought.

"That night I stopped Torchwick from robbing that Dust store, a woman with orange eyes was with him in the bulkhead he escaped in." She rested her hand on her knee. "Maybe she's the person who bought out the White Fang? And why Torchwick is working with them?" Blake crossed her arms.

"If she has Torchwick and the Fang under her thumb, why would she attack the CCT on her own?"

"I don't know." She turned to Penny. "Do you think she could be the woman you were built to fight?"

"Built?" Weiss asked. Ruby's eyes widened as she realized what she said. Penny's eyes widened as well and she looked over at Weiss and Blake. Ruby felt Penny grab her hand, and Ruby gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"I… I am a little different from the rest of you. I am a synthetic human; an android." Weiss' eyebrows shot up and her mouth fell open and Blake looked taken back. Yang laughed.

"Of course my sister would fall for a robot. You couldn't keep your hands off any mechanical thing we had growing up." Ruby's cheeks grew hot and she smacked her sister's side.

"Yang!" she exclaimed, as her sister continued to laugh.

"So, wait a minute, you mean you're a robot? Like, you are an actual, living, breathing machine?" Weiss asked.

"I am. I was built in Atlas and grew up on a military base with my father. He was very strict about what I was allowed to know of the outside world. Mr. Ironwood watched over me as well, he's like a second father to me. I remember my father and Mr. Ironwood telling me that I was destined to save Remnant, to help end a war with a woman called Salem."

"And you think that woman Ruby's fought could be her?" Blake asked. Penny shrugged.

"It is possible. I never met Salem so I do not know what she looks like." Weiss tapped her index finger on her chin.

"Now that I think about it, you being an android would explain a lot. You were pretty strange when we first met." Penny laughed.

"I was still learning how to behave like a proper person. It is thanks to Ruby and all of you that I am learning what it means to be a real girl." Ruby's face fell.

A real girl

"Ruby? Are you okay?" Weiss asked. Ruby looked over at her. Weiss looked concerned and Blake cocked her head to the side as she looked at Ruby.

"You're crying," Blake said. Ruby felt her cheeks, and held her hand out in front of her; there were tears on her fingers. She looked at Yang, fear in her eyes. Realization dawned on Yang's face and she wrapped an arm around Ruby.

"Are you sure, Ruby?" Ruby nodded, squeezing Penny's hand as her sister kept her in her embrace. Her stomach was in knots, she could feel herself shaking, her mouth was dry. She squeezed her eyes shut; she couldn't look at their faces when she told them.

"I… I'm trans," she said.

There was silence. She held her breath as she waited for them to respond. For them to yell. For them to call her a freak. For them to reject her. She heard Yang's bed squeak and then felt several people wrap their arms around her. She opened her eyes, releasing the breath she was holding.

Weiss and Blake were hugging her. They gave her reassuring smiles as she looked at them, her cheeks wet.

"And that's perfectly okay." Blake said. She felt her lip quiver and her vision started to get fuzzier.

"We all love you, Ruby. Just the way you are," Yang said, resting her head on top or Ruby's.

"You being trans is probably the least surprising thing we've learned in this room." Weiss said. "We love you the way you are, Ruby. We're not going to think less of you for who you are." She choked back a sob.

"Really?" she hiccupped. Weiss and Blake nodded, and Yang nuzzled her head.

"I wouldn't care if one of my sisters was trans, why would I care if you were, Ruby?" Weiss said. Ruby hiccupped, relief and happiness washing through her. She heard Penny clear her throat. She looked at Penny, who was still holding onto her hand, and looked confused.

"What is trans?" she asked.

"It just means that Ruby was born in the wrong body. And she takes medicine now and it helps her be who she was meant to be."

"Oh, okay." Penny squeezed her and gave her a smile.

"Do you remember what you told me back in that alley, Ruby?" Penny asked. She nodded. "You think being born in a certain body makes you any less real than me?" Penny asked. Ruby's lip quivered and she started to sob, her friends hugging her as the tears ran down her face.

"Thank you."

* * *

She paced the room nervously as the shower ran. Mercury sat on his bed reading, and Noe was on her bunk, doodling something or another. What if Ruby recognized her? What if Mercury didn't hack the cameras properly? What if the virus didn't go through? What if-

Her head snapped over to the bathroom door as she heard the water stop running. Cinder walked out a moment later, a towel draped around her body, her hair hanging limp and wet past her shoulders. She had on hazel contacts.

"Cinder! Do you know if it got through?" Cinder nodded, and let the towel fall. Emerald blushed and looked away; she hated when she did that. Mercury didn't even glance up from his book as he said.

"Just because you can make your clothes appear out of Dust, doesn't mean we want to see your ass all the time."

 _Speak for yourself_

Cinder snapped her fingers, a red nightgown materializing on her skin. She went to her bed, and sat down. Emerald watched her, crossing her arms.

"You're positive it got through? We won't get another chance if it didn't."

"I'm positive." Cinder picked up her scroll from her bed. She smiled wickedly as she checked it. "And it's already spread begun to spread to the software in the Atlesian ships. Oh?" Her smile grew. "That will be useful." Emerald cocked her head to the side.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It seems General Ironwood's been keeping secrets. Very useful secrets."

"Secrets I'm sure you won't be sharing with us till you feel like it?" Mercury said. Cinder chortled.

"Of course," she said.

"What about Ruby? She saw you, should we kill her?" Cinder shook her head.

"She saw a shadow. And if she did notice any discernable features," she pointed at her eyes, at the new contacts, "I'm sure a simple disguise will be more than enough to keep that simpleton off our trail." Emerald shifted her feet, nervous.

"Still, wouldn't it be safer to just kill her? She's starting to become a problem. And when are we going to tell Adam we found her?" Cinder glared at her.

"Tell me Emerald, what do you think Ozpin would do if the only witness to the attack at his school, the last Silver Eyed Warrior no less, was found dead?"

"Um, I… I don't really know," she said.

"Beacon would go on lockdown, no one allowed in, no one allowed out. Everyone would be screened, and what do you think he would do when he cross checks the false student files we planted in his system and finds out we aren't really students?" She fidgeted under Cinder's glare.

"Hand us over to Ironwood?" she offered.

"Assuming he doesn't try and kill us himself. Do you understand now, Emerald?" She nodded. "Good," she said. Cinder stretched her arms. "And as for young Adam, I want to keep that little secret until the attack. I want him extra fired up during the fighting." She laid down on the bed, and Emerald blushed and looked away again.

 _Those legs_

"Now do try and get some rest, Emerald. We have the long and tedious task of pretending to be students from here on out."

"Oh goodie," Mercury said flatly. Emerald sighed in annoyance, and shook her head.

* * *

She opened the door to his office and saw him sitting at his desk, a screen in front of him, his eyebrows knitted as he glared at the screen. Moonlight filtered through the green glass of the office, casting Ozpin in an odd light. She shut the door as she went to his desk.

"You wanted to speak with me, sir?" He didn't look at her as he scrolled down the page he was on.

"James is calling Winter here to get started with the transfer. I've notified Qrow and am waiting on his response." She frowned.

"He can't seriously expect us to be okay with that? He can't just bulldoze over our opinion of the matter."

"And I told him as much. But if the woman who attacked the CCT tonight is the same one who attacked Amber, then we are short on time, and we need to come to a decision soon." Ozpin closed the screen and rested his hands on his desk, his fingers interlocked. He looked up at her. "Have you given any further thought as to which student we could pick?" Her frown deepened.

"Sir, with all due respect, I don't think any of our students are ready for that kind of responsibility." He cocked an eyebrow.

"Glynda?" She took a breath.

"If you want to use one of our students for the transfer, you will have to decide on who without me. I will not force one of my children to have to go through that; to have to live with that burden. A Huntress we know could work just as fine." Ozpin stood up.

"Glynda, our options are limited. We have to pick someone we know, someone that we can trust to properly use that power. And one who is still young enough to be viable to become a Maiden."

"I understand, sir, but I refuse to do that to one of my daughters." He glared at her, anger boiling behind his eyes. He turned his back to her, his body covered in green shadows.

"I see. You are dismissed, Professor Goodwitch." She gave him a polite nod and left the room.

She knocked on the door, and rested her hands behind her back, swaying back and forth on her feet as she waited for the door to open. It opened up a crack, and Ironwood's weary face peeked out.

"Penny? What are you doing up this late?" Penny offered him a smile.

"I needed to talk with you, Mr. Ironwood." Ironwood's face disappeared and the door closed for a moment before it opened. Ironwood was in his pajamas, the linens ironed and crisp. He motioned for her to come in. She did, looking around the barren room as he closed the door. He went to his bed and sat down, while she remained standing in the center of the room.

"What is that you needed to discuss, Penny?" he asked.

"I would like to compete in the Vytal Tournament." He cocked an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Since leaving home I have learned a lot about the rest of the world, about what it means to be a real girl. I know that Father and his staff back in Atlas will be watching the Festival, and I would like to show them how much I have grown." He rested his fingers together.

"I could take you back home, Penny. You can show him in person." She shook her head. Father would not approve of her being in a relationship or having as many friends as she does now, and she could not go back to that kind of isolation, not after learning what she had been missing.

"I would rather stay here in Vale, Mr. Ironwood." He smiled.

"I assume, Ms. Ro- Ruby, has a part to play in that?" She nodded. He chuckled.

"I understand. I believe I may be able to pull some strings and scrounge up a team for you from Atlas." She squealed with delight and embraced him. He patted her on the back as she hugged him.

"Thank you, Mr. Ironwood! I promise to not let Atlas down!"

"I'm sure you'll make us proud." She broke the hug and stepped back, still giddy. He gave her a tired smile. "Now go get some rest." She gave him a salute and he chuckled at that.

"You as well, Mr. Ironwood." She said.

 **And that's it! Let me know what you think. Oh and check out the Vol4 soundtrack! This Life is Mine is my fave track so far.**


	25. Date Night

**Sorry for the delay with this one, lots of issues at my workplace and I had issues with this chapter but I hope it was worth the wait.**

She set her pencil down and admired her handiwork; she thought she had done a good job, especially doing it all from memory. Her eyes looked right, her smile too, the only part that looked a little off was her scar, perhaps she had made it too long. She looked down from her bunk and over at Weiss, who was busy studying at her desk.

She climbed out of her bed, setting her sketchbook on the bookcase, and went to Weiss' desk, standing behind her, resting an arm on her chair.

"What are you studying?" she asked. Weiss looked up at her, her expression sheepish. Blake glanced down at the page she was on, and recognized the cow on the page; Krshi, God of Agriculture. She cocked her head to the side as she looked back at Weiss.

"I wanted to learn a bit more about your people's religion, and I didn't want to bother you with more questions." She said hesitantly. Blake smiled at her.

"You wouldn't have been bothering me, Weiss. What were you hoping to learn?" She looked back down at the book, flipping through the pages.

"Well, I was curious as to where the Faunus believe they came from. And where humans and Grimm come from." she paused as she looked at an illustration of Maut the Spider.

"In my faith, we believe that humanity was formed from Ice Dust, up in the tundra's and ice sheets of Atlas, before moving onto the other regions." She flipped a page, smiling slightly as she looked at Mother Devi. "And that your people were formed from Fire Dust in the deserts of Vacuo." She turned the page. "And since humans and Faunus were born from different Dust, that's why they can't get along. And the Grimm were formed without Dust, and that's why they want to destroy us and everything formed from the natural world." She stopped at a page with Bijalee the Hawk. She looked back up at Blake. "I was hoping to find something in one of the books in the library, but I'm not having the best of luck." Blake reached down, Weiss retracted her hand, and she closed the book. She gave Weiss a smile as she rested her hand on top of the book, Weiss' hand slipping on top of the book as well.

"My people believe that Mother Devi created the humans first. She was not entirely happy with the outcome; they were too uniform looking. Sure there were differences in skin and shape but nothing too unique about them otherwise. So she created the Grimm, and was vastly unsatisfied with them, and abandoned them, leaving them to do as they pleased on Remnant. Then she made my people. She found we were a good balance, every one of us unique in the eyes of the Gods." She traced her finger over the book cover. "And the humans grew to hate us, for we were loved by our Mother more than they were." She stopped her hand and looked into Weiss' eyes. She seemed engrossed with Blake's words, and didn't break away as she held the gaze. "Anything else you want to know?"

"Who's Adam?" She let go of the chair, her face draining of color, and took a step back. Weiss furrowed her brow in concern, turning in her chair to face her. "Blake? Are you okay?" She felt her hand raise up, caressing her cheek.

His hand as it smacked her.

His words after she threw him onto that train car.

His voice as he yelled at her before the mission.

Hi-

She blinked and saw Weiss in front of her, her free hand held in Weiss' hand, held in between them. Concern was in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Blake lowered her hand from her cheek, looking at her palm before shaking her head. Weiss tightened her grip on Blake's hand. "I'm sorry for asking you that. I heard you say that name in your sleep, and you looked like you were in pain then. I should have known better than to ask you that." Blake lowered her head, and slipped her hand out of Weiss'.

"It's fine Weiss. He… he was just someone from my past I don't want to think about anymore." She looked back up at Weiss, eyeing the long scar that trailed from her forehead, over her eye, and down her cheek. She cocked her head to the side, and Weiss frowned a little.

"What is it?" she asked. Blake hesitated, perhaps she shouldn't ask her this.

"Your scar?" she said. Weiss gave her a look.

"What about it?" she asked. Blake chewed her lip for a moment.

"May I ask how you got it?" Weiss looked away, and Blake noticed her start to rub her right wrist.

"I'd rather not talk about it." She mumbled, still rubbing her wrist. Blake watched her hand and realized that she had never seen Weiss' bare arms; even in the sweltering summer heat she always wore that jacket of hers. Her dresses had long sleeves, her nightgown had long sleeves, and she always kept her arm clutched against her chest whenever she went from the bathroom to the closet after a shower.

Weiss laughed and Blake looked back up at her face. Weiss shook her head, a faint smile on her lips.

"After all that we've been through, all the months we've been together on this team, and we can't even talk about our pasts with each other." Blake frowned and reached for Weiss' hand. Weiss let Blake slip her hand into hers.

"We're still getting to know each other. It took a while for Ruby to come out to us, I'm sure there are things we're all keeping from each other until we feel more comfortable talking about it." Blake offered her a smile. "Maybe we should go somewhere and relax a little."

"Did you have somewhere in mind?" Weiss asked. Blake shook her head.

"Not particularly. But I'm sure we can figure something out." Weiss mulled it over for a moment before giving Blake a grin.

"Lead the way."

* * *

She swung her arms in a carefree manor as she followed after Jaune and Pyrrha, Ren keeping pace alongside her.

"You'd think Pyrrha would know a better restaurant that serves all day breakfast," Nora said. Jaune looked back over his shoulder at them.

"We can't really afford anywhere else guys," Jaune said. Pyrrha looked back and beamed at them.

"I've never eaten at a Benny's before! I'm so excited!" she exclaimed. Jaune scratched the back of his head.

"It's not that great." Pyrrha clasped her hands together in excitement, the smile on her face not wavering.

"I know! But I've never had bad food like that before!" Nora giggled and glanced over at Ren to see him grinning.

"Well there's a first for everything!" Nora said.

They continued on to the restaurant. The skies were darkening and she could feel electricity in the air. There was a boom of thunder and Nora felt herself relax; thunder and lightning always made her feel at ease.

The outside of the restaurant was dingy looking; faded black brick and a bland shade of green painted over the roof and trim around the windows. A large 'Breakfast Served All Day' sign hung in the window. Jaune held the door open for them as they all entered. A bored looking alligator Faunus stood at the cash register, chewing on a piece of gum, her tail resting alongside her leg. Nora could see a couple other people in the restaurant; a cute Faunus couple around her age, some old geezers drinking coffee, and oh! Those pancakes looked delic-

"Party of four I assume?" The hostess asked, breaking her train of thought.

"Yes ma'am!" Pyrrha exclaimed. The hostess remained disinterred looking as she grabbed four menus and led them to a table. The rest of the restaurant was dimly lit, the lights covered by poorly cleaned lampshades. The walls were a dark blue, only accentuating the darkness of the room. She stopped at a booth and set the menus on the table.

"A server will be here to take your orders." She said before leaving, her tail swishing as she walked away.

They took their seats, Jaune and Nora on the inside of the booth, and Pyrrha and Ren taking the aisle seats. Nora didn't even bother opening the menu, she knew what she wanted; unlimited pancakes baby. She heard the rain start to pelt down on the roof, and a boom of thunder. She played with her fork absent mindedly, humming as she let a course of electricity flow from her hand and dance along the fork. Jaune set his menu down and drummed his hand on the table while Pyrrha and Ren browsed their menus. He cleared his throat.

"So, uhhh… how do these thing usually go?" Nora set the fork down on the table before holding up her hands.

"No idea! We thought you guys would know what to do. This double date was your idea after all."

"We were hoping you two would know what to do. Neither of us have done this before," Jaune said. Nora snorted.

"Really?" Jaune nodded as Pyrrha set her menu down.

"Well, how about we ask you two some questions?"

"Like what?" Ren asked, setting the menu down.

"Well, how long have you two been together?" Nora glanced over at Ren, whose face remained neutral.

"Define 'together'?" Nora said. Pyrrha made a motion with her hand.

"How long have you two known each other? When did you know that you were meant to be together?" Nora chewed her lip and glanced back over at Ren. He blinked but said nothing. Nora gave a laugh, holding her hands up.

"Well if you really must know, Ren and I have been friends since we were really little, we grew up in the same village in Mistral, and it just kinda went from there. We became inseparable after…" she paused, her eyes darting back to Ren. He rubbed his chest, his scar, and looked away. She looked back at Jaune and Pyrrha; Pyrrha looked engrossed by her words and Jaune cocked his head to the side as he looked from Nora to Ren. "After some stuff that happened and it just kinda went from there." She offered them a smile. Pyrrha smiled back, clasping her hands together.

"How cute!"

"You're from Mistral, right Pyrrha?" Ren asked, looking over at her. Pyrrha nodded.

"Born and raised, Mistral City to be exact."

"Did you have any family?"

"A mother and an aunt. They raised me on their own." Ren rubbed his chest again. Nora cleared her throat.

"So, Jaune, where are you from?"

"Hm? Vale. My family lived near the border so we vacationed in Mistral some times."

"Neat! So what have you and Pyrrha been doing when you two aren't in the dorm?" Jaune's eyes widened and Pyrrha looked taken back.

"You noticed?" Pyrrha asked.

"Well duh. Kinda hard not to notice you two missing till the wee hours of the night every week on the same days." She gave them a cheeky grin. "You're being safe at least right? We can let you borrow the dorm if you'd prefer." Jaune's face turned as red as Pyrrha's hair and Pyrrha face palmed. She felt Ren place his hand on her shoulder.

"Nora, I'd rather not discuss their sex life at dinner."

"We're not having sex!" Jaune said, flustered.

"You're not?"

The waiter appeared, a notebook in hand and a bored expression on his face.

"What are you getting?" He asked.

"Pancakes! Keep 'em coming till I pass out!" Nora exclaimed, slapping her hands on the table. Ren sighed.

"Just some tea for me. And let's start her off with twelve for now."

"A burger and soda for me," Jaune said.

"And a ham omelet and orange juice for me!" Pyrrha beamed at the waiter. The waiter scribbled down their orders and left. Nora returned her attention to her two blushing teammates.

"So, what _are_ you two doing then?" Pyrrha opened and closed her mouth several times as she thought of a response. Jaune sighed and looked down at the table, his eyes closed.

"I've been having her train me." Nora cocked her head to the side.

"Why?" he shrugged.

"I'm not the best fighter, and how could I turn her down?" Jaune played with his hands before speaking again. "I've actually been thinking, would you want to put our names into consideration for the Vytal Tournament? I doubt we'd actually end up in it but it'd be pretty cool to get to fight in it. Seems like it would be fun." Nora grinned from ear to ear; a chance to wreck people on international television? Hell _yes_. She clenched her fist, wresting her elbow on the table.

"That would be amazing! Right Ren?" He nodded his head, a small smile present.

"It seems like it would be a fun team exercise." Jaune smiled and they all looked at Pyrrha. Nora's smile faltered as she saw Pyrrha force her own smile.

"Yes, sounds like it would be very fun." She forced a laugh. Before Nora could respond she noticed a woman their age walking over to the table, something behind her back. They all looked at her as she stood next to their table; she looked nervous.

"Sorry if I'm bothering you, but you're Pyrrha Nikos right?" Nora saw a flash of annoyance in Pyrrha's eyes before she smiled at the woman. Pyrrha opened her mouth-

"You would not believe how many times she gets that! She looks just like her doesn't she?" Nora blurted out. The woman looked mortified and stammered out an apology before quickly leaving. Pyrrha sighed in relief as the woman left.

"You're too nice for you own good, Pyrrha," Jaune said.

"It seems like it would be rude to turn fans down. I don't want to make them upset."

"But we're on a date, Pyrrha, you gotta think about yourself sometimes." Nora said. Pyrrha shrugged.

"I appreciate you doing that for me, Nora, but let me handle my fans my way, okay?" Nora frowned and leaned back into her seat.

"Fine," she grumbled. Jaune looked between the two of them.

"I got an idea guys. Why don't we talk about what we would spend the prize money on?" Ren rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "I would send the money back home, I'm sure my parents need the money." Jaune said.

"I'd buy a sloth!" Nora said. Pyrrha giggled and Jaune chucked at that.

"I'm sure you could buy more than one sloth." Pyrrha said.

"Well I can't just fill the dorm with sloths now can I?" Ren lowered his hand back down to the table.

"I would have no idea what to do with that much money." He said.

"I don't think I would know what to do with it either. Most of the money I made back in the tournaments went to my mother."

The server appeared then, putting the food and drinks down on the table before leaving, not saying a word.

Nora held back and watched as Pyrrha cut into her omelet with her fork. She brought the forkful of egg and pork to her mouth before biting down. She made a face as she started to chew.

"How is it?" Nora sked after she swallowed.

"It's terrible!" she said. They all started to laugh.

* * *

She opened the door to her dorm and was greeted with nothing. She frowned; she thought Weiss and Blake would be here. She looked over at her desk and noticed a sheet of paper on it. She dumped her book bag onto her desk and picked up the paper.

 _Went out to Vale. Be back later._

 _-Blake_

She rolled her eyes as she read the next part, written in swirling cursive.

 _If I find cookie crumbs on my bed when we get back I'm going to freeze you, Ruby._

 _-Sincerely, Weiss._

She smiled and set the paper back down on her desk. Penny was out hanging out with Sun and Neptune, and Yang said she would be out training with SVDJ for the afternoon. She pulled Crescent Rose out and set it on her desk. She took her seat and pulled out her cleaning kit before she started to disassemble her weapon. She felt her shoulders start to go slack as her body began to relax; nothing like cleaning her baby after a long day of classes. She ran a brush through the barrel, humming a little as she cleaned her scythe rifle.

The door opened and Ruby looked up from the part she was cleaning; Yang walked into the room, her training bag slung over her shoulder, an annoyed look on her face. Ruby leaned back in her chair, setting the parts down on the desk.

"I thought you were hanging out with SVDJ today?" Ruby asked.

"So did I," Yang grumbled. She tossed her bag at the foot of her bed before flopping down onto her bed, her arms sprayed out. "I showed up at the gym only to get a text saying they couldn't make it, other stuff came up." Ruby cocked an eyebrow.

"Didn't they do that last week too?"

"Yep."

"Are you guys still friends?" Yang shrugged.

"I mean we still talk when we have class, well, I mostly talk with Sterling." She shrugged again, resting her hands behind her head. "They're all on a team together and I'm with you guys, so I guess we'd just get a bit more distant." She looked over at Ruby. "You talk with any of your Signal friends lately?"

"Not lately, no." Yang looked over at Weiss desk, and cocked an eyebrow.

"Didn't Weiss say she was gonna be studying today?" Ruby picked up the piece of paper, holding it out in front of her. "What's that?" Yang asked.

"A note. Weiss and Blake left to go somewhere and won't be back for a while." Yang sat up.

"Is it really a good idea to leave them unsupervised?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Ruby asked. Yang pointed at the replaced window.

"Or you know, when Weiss came in soaking wet and crying, talking about wanting to die."

"They spent the dance together though, and didn't have any problems." Yang shrugged.

"I guess. I just hope they're okay." Ruby laughed.

"You're such a mom." Yang laughed as well, rubbing the back of her head.

She stood up from her bed, and noticed something on the bookshelf. She picked it up from the shelf and sat back down on her bed, flipping through the pages, surprise on her face.

"What is it?" Ruby asked. Yang didn't look up as she answered.

"Just one of Blake's books. I wanted to see what they were like." She kept flipping through the book, lingering on some pages longer than others. Ruby watched her for a moment before returning to cleaning her scythe.

Ruby finished cleaning her weapon and reassembled it, giving it a hug before setting it on the ground, leaning against the desk. She stretched her back, pleasure shooting through her as her back made several satisfying pops. She stood up from her desk and went over to her bed; Yang was still absorbed in Blake's book, cocking her head as she went through the pages. She kicked her feet in the air as she watched Yang. She smiled as she watched her sister, remembering at how she would make a similar face while reviewing her homework when she was younger.

"Yang?" Her sister looked up at her, lowering the book.

"Yeah?" Ruby smiled at her.

"Thanks for always being there for me growing up." Yang sat the book on the bed. She gave her a sheepish smile and a thumbs up.

"No prob, Ruby," she said. Ruby looked away.

"The other night…. that was really hard for me to do." She kicked her feet in the air. "I don't think you realize how much it meant to me when I first came out to you, and how you accepted me no problem, and switched so fast to my new name." She swallowed. "I know how hard it was after mom died, and dad shut down. I didn't realize what you were doing back then, but I realized it as I got older." She looked back over at Yang; her sister's mouth hung open and she was staring at Ruby. Ruby swallowed. Yang's lip quivered as she asked

"H-how long have you known?"

"I figured it out after I came out. Dad was in between jobs, you weren't working, and yet we weren't out on the streets. You were tired a lot, and you were struggling in school, and yet you somehow had the money to pay for my blockers, estrogen, and new clothes." She rubbed her arm, nervous. "I came into your room one day after you got back from class and you were passed out on your bed; the jacket you always wore was off and your body was covered in bruises. And it made me remember how when I was really little I woke up one day and saw that you were missing a tooth, and you didn't remember losing it; it hadn't been loose or anything." Ruby offered her a smile. "I've never told you this before Yang, but thank you so much for everything you've done for me. I love you so much."

Yang sniffed, and wiped at her eyes, before smiling back at Ruby. Her voice was uneven as she spoke.

"T-thank you, Ruby. I… I love you too."

* * *

She followed Blake down the street, eyeing the dark clouds that hung in the air. Hopefully this… date? would go better than the last. They were in Vale's downtown, graffiti art marking the walls of buildings and sidewalks. Clubs, stores, and restaurants were crammed all next to one another, some less sleazy looking than others. People were hurrying around them, seeking shelter from the fast approaching rain.

Blake came to a stop and turned to her, they were standing in front of a set of stairs leading downwards towards a black painted door. Blake gave her a smile.

"I used to come to this place a lot before joining Beacon." Weiss looked down the staircase, eyeing the door wearily.

"I'm not going to wake up strapped to a table am I?" Blake laughed.

"No, it's, well, you'll see." They went down the steps and Blake held open the door for Weiss.

The room inside was dark and full of tables, a small stage with a light centered on it and a microphone in the center was against the wall across from the door. A bar took up the wall on the right. Most of the tables were full, and various conversations permeated the air. Some kind of alternative music was playing. It smelled of cigarettes and there was a haze in the air. Weiss coughed as she stepped into the room and some of the patrons looked back at her and their eyes widened in fear. Weiss realized they were Faunuses, they all were. She heard Blake come up behind her and the fear turned to confusion. Blake said something that Weiss didn't understand and they eyed the two of them wearily before returning their attention to whatever they had been doing before.

Weiss gave her a look as Blake walked towards a small empty table on the left. Weiss took a seat, opposite of Blake's. She noticed that Blake had taken her bow off.

"I thought you said you didn't like clubs? And what did you say to them?"

"This isn't like a normal club. And I just told them you were with me." Weiss cocked her head to the side.

"It sounded different than that." Blake rubbed her arm sheepishly.

"I told them in my language." Weiss blinked in surprise. Her language?

"The Faunus have their own language?" Blake nodded.

"We usually only use it around other Faunus. During the Great War a lot of Faunus were targeted for using their own language and it almost died out." Weiss looked down.

"I see." Her people had done so much to the Faunus… She listened to the music playing for a moment; it was a song about police brutalizing Faunus and the singer not wanting to lose his family. She looking up at Blake. Blake smiled when she looked at her.

"Do you like this kind of music?" Blake listened to it for a moment before nodding.

"I'm really into alternative music, but I like some rock music too," she said.

"Like what Ruby listens to?" Blake laughed and shook her head.

"No, I want to keep my hearing by the time I'm thirty." Weiss giggled at that. Blake knitted her hands together, resting her chin on her hands as she continued to look at Weiss.

"What kind of music do you like?" Weiss thought about it for a moment.

"Mostly instrumental music and relaxing electronic music. I like a lot of female singers as well, and the songs from the musicals I watch." Weiss played with her hands as Blake looked at her. "Do you like musicals?" Blake shook her head, before making a face.

"I actually haven't seen very many movies."

"How come?"

"I grew up outside the kingdoms after I left Menagerie and you don't get a lot of recreational time out there. What little I had I spent reading."

"What kind of books do you like?"

"Romances mostly. But I like a couple of mystery series as well. Ninjas of Love is my favorite book series." Weiss snorted and Blake frowned.

"Isn't that a smut book?" Blake blushed.

"No! I mean, yes, there are sex scenes but it's so much more than that! It's so good; it's a perfect balance of romance and action, comedy and tragedy, and the writing is so good, the prose and descriptions are just magical. And it doesn't fetishize my people like other romance books do."

"Well that's good at least. I think I saw a movie version of it floating around, I'll give that a-"

"You can't!" Blake exclaimed, her hands untangling as she put them on the table, legitimate fear in her amber eyes.

"Why not?" Weiss asked.

"The movie is terrible! The book is so much better! You _have_ to read it first!" Weiss laughed, and Blake started to laugh as well.

"Okay, if it's that much better, I'll read the book first." Weiss said once they stopped. Blake's ears perked up at that.

"Really?" Weiss nodded.

"On one condition. You have to watch my favorite movie with me."

"That sounds fine with me."

There was a tapping sound from the microphone and Weiss and Blake looked over at the stage. A leopard Faunus was on the stage.

"Thank you all for coming out tonight, we always appreciate your continued patronage. We have a couple new faces coming onto the stage tonight and some old favorites as well. Enjoy." The leopard walked off the stage and a spider Faunus took the stage. She seemed nervous and her voice was quiet as she began to speak into the mic.

"What's going on?" Weiss asked. Blake looked at her.

"This is a poetry club, it's a place for Faunus to come and relax and express themselves." Weiss looked over Blake's shoulder and back at the stage, the spider was struggling to get her poem out, stammering and pausing, swallowing as her eyes darted around the crowd. Weiss cupped her hand around her mouth and shouted

"You're doing great!" The spider looked over in Weiss direction and timidly smiled. She managed to finish the rest of her poem and crowd politely clapped for her as she left the stage.

A grim faced bat took the stage and started his poem. His words were harsh, his rhythm fast paced. He finished, and gave a nod as the crowd clapped for him. He walked off the stage and a cow took the stage. Blake looked back at her and motioned over to the bar with her head.

"I'm going to go get us some drinks. Anything specific you want?" she asked.

"Just some red wine." Blake flashed her a smile before getting up from her seat and walking over to the bar, standing behind a couple other people who were waiting to talk to the bartender. She returned her attention to the cow and listened to them finish their poem. The cow stepped down and a hawk took the stage. She listened to them with a smile when she felt someone shove her shoulder.

"Hey!" she said, as she turned towards the shover. A cat Faunus stood before her, his arms crossed, and a scowl on his whiskered face.

"What do you think you're doing here?"

"I'm here with my friend. What's your problem?" He snorted and glared at her.

"My problem is some rich human bitch thinks she can come into a Faunus space like it's no big deal. Like you're not the cause of my people's problems." Weiss glared back at him.

"I haven't done anything to you. I don't even know you."

"Really? You really want to say that, Schnee? Like your family doesn't do everything in its power to keep us down." Weiss didn't look away but found herself at a loss for words; her family _had_ done a lot of horrible things against the Faunus.

She glanced away from the man for a second and saw Blake looking at them from her place at the bar. She sneered and started to march over to them. Weiss looked back at the man.

"Got nothing to say you white haired bitch?" He said. Weiss held her tongue, and swallowed, her throat dry.

"Leave. Her. Alone." Blake said, standing behind her seat, putting a hand on her shoulder protectively. The man laughed.

"Are you this 'friend' she talked about? What the hell is wrong with you? Bringing her kind here?"

"I don't see a sign saying humans can't come in."

"We shouldn't have to! They have their places and we have ours! We come here to relax and get away from dealing with them every day! They belittle us and treat us like shit and refuse us at almost every store! And you think you can just bring a human. No, not just a human. A fucking Schnee, in here, to our place!" Blake let go of Weiss' shoulder and stood in front of the man, Weiss saw from the corner of her eye that other patrons were staring at them, whispering and watching.

"She has every right to be here you hypocrite! She's my friend and I'll take her here if I want to!"

"You fucking _slavosá_!" The man shouted in Blake's face, and she heard gasps in the room. Blake's face contorted with anger and she started to scream back at the man, the words foreign and alien sounding to Weiss. The man didn't back down and yelled back at her, trying to drown her out with his loud voice. Weiss looked away from the two, and saw the other patrons watching them, shaking their heads in disapproval as Blake and the cat screamed at each other.

Weiss stood up from her seat and grasped Blake's hand. Blake stopped mid-sentence and looked down at Weiss, concern on her face.

"Blake, let's just leave." Blake frowned and the cat snorted in pleasure.

"Weiss, you have every right to-" Weiss squeezed her hand.

"We're making a scene. We can relax back at home." Blake turned her head back to glare at the man before sighing and saying

"Fine." The man grinned victoriously as Weiss led Blake out of the building, keeping a firm grip on her hand.

"Enjoy your pet, Schnee," the man said as they opened the door. Weiss felt Blake try to break free of her grip. Weiss looked back at her, meeting her eyes. Blake was infuriated, a murderous look in her eyes. Weiss shook her head. Blake was still seething with anger but followed Weiss out the door.

It was raining out and the stairs leading up were slick with water. Weiss climbed them slowly, letting go of Blake's hand as they climbed the stairs. The rain pelted down on them as they stepped onto the sidewalk. They walked down the rainy street, their clothes sticking to their clothes as they got soaked. Water dripped down her face as she kept her head down while they walked.

"I'm sorry," Weiss said. She heard Blake stop and looked back at her. Blake stood beneath a streetlamp, the light illuminating her figure and the rain around her. Blake's face softened as Weiss looked at her but she still looked angry.

"You don't have to apologize," she said. Weiss shook her head, her ponytail sticking to her shoulders.

"I do. That man was upset with me, if I wasn't there that wouldn't have happened."

"Weiss…" Weiss looked away, holding up her hand before letting it fall to her side.

"That word he called you. What did it mean?" Blake rubbed her arm.

"It means, one who sleeps with the enemy. He was calling me a race traitor for being your… friend."

"Blake…" Weiss said quietly. Dust, could she just do something right with Blake just once. She looked back up at Blake, her eyes drifting to her still uncovered ears. She felt resentment build inside her as she thought of that man's words. She liked Blake's ears, she thought they made Blake look more beautiful, and she had more than once had thought of touching them. She remembered what Blake said back on the night of the dance; Faunus didn't like having them touched. That would be so degrading to Blake; a human playing with her ears, like she's just some animal for her amusement. She clenched her hand and looked away again.

"That man was right."

"Weiss, what are you talking about?"

"I… I've thought about playing with your ears Blake. I think that you look beautiful without your bow on and when I see you without out it I get an urge to rub them." She shook her head. "What kind of friend am I? Looking at my Faunus friend like she's just some kind of animal for me to pet." She looked up at Blake, expecting to see her looking even angrier, probably even disgusted. Instead Blake's cheeks were flushed and her ears were perked up.

"Weiss, do you remember what I told you about Faunus having their nonhuman traits touched?" Weiss nodded.

"You don't like it." Blake shook her head.

"My people don't let people they don't trust touch them. For a long time humans would rip them off or hunt us for them. So having someone else touch them started to become an intimate sign of trust amongst my people."

"Really?" Weiss asked. Blake nodded. Blake closed the distance between them, slipping her hands into hers. She smiled as she ran her thumb over the back of Weiss' hand.

"That guy was a jerk, and just as bad as those people in that store we went to. You did nothing wrong, and neither did I." The blush returned to her face. "And… I would like it if you touched my ears." Weiss felt her heart jump into her throat and her cheeks grow warm.

"You're sure?" Blake nodded. Weiss swallowed and shakily untangled her hands from Blake's. She gingerly reached up to Blake's head, her left ear twitched, and Weiss looked into Blake's eyes. Blake met her gaze, adoration in her eyes and smiled at her. Weiss swallowed and gently put her hands on Blake's ears.

They were wet from the rain but the fur was soft and felt silky smooth to the touch. She ran her thumbs in a circular motion on the inside part of her ears. She smiled, they were as nice as she had imagined them to be. She let go of her ears and brought her hands back down, slipping one back into Blake's hand.

"Thank you, for letting me do that Blake." Weiss said. Blake smiled, slipping her other hand into Weiss' free hand.

"Thank you, _mattä,_ that felt really nice." Weiss cocked her head to the side.

" _Mattä_? What does that mean?" Blake giggled.

"I'll tell you later." Blake let go of her hands and started to walk down the street again, pulling her bow from her pocket and wrapping it around her ears. "Let's go home, Weiss."

* * *

Yang watched rain run down the window as Ruby and Penny watched a movie together on their bed. It was getting late, hopefully they would be back soon. She looked away from the window and over at Ruby; she was smiling as Penny snuggled against her. She smiled.

She had planned on keeping that a secret from Ruby till the day she died but somehow, having Ruby know about what she did to provide for her felt like a huge burden was lifted; she felt lighter. She was so proud of her younger sister, she was so strong, and so brave. She could never know what it felt like to be born in the wrong body, but she knew how hard it was for people like her.

The door to the dorm opened and Yang looked over to see Weiss and Blake enter. They looked…. happy? They were both soaked but they were both smiling as they entered, Blake glancing back over to Weiss every few seconds.

"We're back." Weiss said. Ruby waved at them in greeting.

"I am back as well," Penny said. Yang sat up from her bed as Weiss went over to the bathroom door. Weiss looked back at Blake as she opened it.

"It okay if I shower first?" she asked. Blake nodded and said

"Yeah, go ahead." Yang reached over to the bookshelf and grabbed the sketchbook from its place. She stuffed it into her jacket as she stood up. She cleared her throat, catching Blake's attention.

"Blake, can I talk to you outside?" Blake eyed her wearily, her eyes narrowed a bit, before giving a small nod. Yang left the room and Blake followed, shutting the door. Yang looked down both ends of the hallway before she leaned against the wall, Blake cocking an eyebrow as she watched her.

"Is something the matter, Yang?" she asked.

"I want to know what's going on between you and Weiss." Blake frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, when we all first met you and Weiss weren't exactly friendly. You dove out a window and hid in Vale for two days after she found out you were a Faunus because you were so afraid of her reaction. And you were so mean to when you two were out a while ago that she came home crying and talking about killing herself." Blake's eyes widened and her bow twitched as she looked away.

"I… I didn't know I hurt her that badly."

"Which is why I'm asking; what's going on between you two?" Blake looked back over at her.

"I don't follow."

"She took you on a shopping date, you two spent the dance together, doing who knows wh-"

"We danced," Blake interrupted. Yang blinked in surprise.

"And now you're coming back from… what exactly?" Blake shifted her feet and rubbed her arm before answering

"I guess you would call it a date."

"What did you two do?"

"I took her out to a club I know in downtown." Yang raised her eyebrows in surprise; Blake and Weiss in a club? What the fuck? Blake noticed her expression and waved her hands as she said "Not that kind of club. It's a poetry club run by Faunus." Oh. That made more sense. She crossed her arms.

"And?"

"And some stuff happened, Weiss got harassed by some jerk and I stood up for her and then we left and walked home."

"Did you call her, _mattä_ , during any of this?" Blake's face drained of color and her eyes widened.

"How did-?" Yang pulled out the sketchbook, flipping to the last few pages, the ones covered in drawings of Weiss and words written in weird blocky looking letters. Blake glared at her. "What are you doing with that!" she tried to snatch the book away but Yang held it into the air, out of Blake's reach. "Give that back!" she said, trying to snatch the book back.

"I will, I just need to know something." Blake paused her attempts to swipe the book back, meeting Yang's eyes. "What does it mean? Why are you drawing her so much? Who was that man in the other drawings?" Blake rubbed her face and stepped back.

"I don't want to talk about him." Yang nodded, and lowered the book, still keeping it close to her person though.

"Okay, we won't then. But that doesn't answer my other questions." Blake exhaled through her nose and crossed her arms.

" _Mattä_ is a word from my people's language." She started to blush and looked away, her gaze locked on the wall opposite of them. "It means, 'the beauty of moonlight'." Her blush deepened. "I think Weiss is a good muse, and I like drawing her, so what?" Yang smirked and offered the book back to her. Blake snatched it back, clutching it to her chest.

"Did anything… else happen while you two were walking home?" Blake's lip twitched and her face remained red.

"I… I let her touch my ears." Yang cocked her head to the side.

"Is that an important thing for you guys?" Blake's face was a deep red.

"I told Weiss that it's considered a very special thing my people only do with people they absolutely trust but it's also a bit more…intimate than that." Blake looked down at her feet. "The closest thing I can compare it to for your people would be a…. a kiss." Yang's mouth fell open.

"No. You mean?" Blake didn't look up.

"Yeah." Yang took a step towards Blake, who continued to stare at her feet.

"When did you realize it?" Blake shook her head.

"I don't know," she said.

"Are you worried she won't like you back?" Blake shook her head.

"I'm worried if she does. I'm a Faunus, Yang. We both know what her family thinks about my people." Yang's expression fell and she put a hand on Blake's shoulder.

"Do you think you would be able to change their minds like you did with Weiss?" Blake shook her head.

"Well you know that Ruby and I will always have you and Weiss' back right?" Blake hesitated before nodding. "I think she likes you back Blake, and maybe she's just too afraid to act on it like you are. But I want you to promise me something." Blake looked up at her, meeting her gaze. "I don't want Weiss to ever come home like she did that night. I don't care what kind of fight you two get into, don't make her feel like that again. Okay?" Blake nodded, and Yang embraced her. Blake stiffened before returning the hug. "I love you two, and I want you two to be happy, okay? I know it's hard and I can't promise that everything will be okay if you end up together but you two clearly care about each other, and I will support you two no matter what."

"Thank you, Yang." Blake said. They broke the hug and Yang held the door open for Blake before following her in.

 **And that's it, let me know what you think. Just one more fluff chapter and then its on to my fave part of vol2: the Mt. Glenn Arc!**


	26. Relax

**Here's the next chapter.**

She raised her gauntleted fists in front of her face as Nora smirked at her from across the sparring mat, hammer in hand.

"I'm not gonna go easy on ya just cause we're training." Nora smirked at her.

"You'd better not." She said. There was a moment of silence before Nora launched herself at Yang, a laugh escaping her lips as she swung her hammer. Yang leapt back as the hammer crashed into the ground where she had been seconds prior. She ducked down low as Nora swung again, and sprung forward, slamming her fist into Nora's stomach. Nora grunted, and Yang smashed her fist into Nora's chin before punching her in the cheek.

Nora grit her teeth before head-butting Yang. Yang staggered back for a second, shaking her head as pain washed over her. She felt the wind get knocked out of her as Nora slammed the staff of her hammer into her chest, following it up by slamming the hammer into her face.

Yang fell to the ground, grunting as her head swam. She looked up to see Nora slamming her hammer down at her. Yang threw her hands up, gritting her teeth, as she caught it, her arms shaking from the strain. Yang grunted, and kicked out at Nora, hitting her in the knee. Nora laughed at that, and put more pressure on the hammer. Yang felt her hair ignite as she snarled and let go of the hammer, rolling out of the way as the hammer came crashing down.

Yang sprang to her feet and tackled Nora to the ground, pinning her arms to the floor with her legs. Nora laughed again

"I love it when you're rough!" she exclaimed. Yang punched Nora in the face, the grin not leaving Nora's face. She punched Nora's face repeatedly, grunting as she pounded on her face.

She grunted as she felt Nora contort her body, slamming her foot into the back of Yang's head. Nora took this opportunity to slip her arms out from under Yang's legs, swinging the hammer staff and striking Yang across the face, knocking her to the ground.

Yang sprung to her feet, her breathing heavy as Nora stood up, a smirk on her lips.

"Ready to give up?" Nora asked. Yang shook her head, raising her fists up. "Good." Nora threw herself at Yang again, and Yang dodged the attack. She closed the distance and smashed her fist into Nora's chest. Nora wheezed, doubling over in pain. Yang clasped her hands together and slammed her fists onto Nora's back. Nora fell to the ground with a grunt, and Yang slammed her heel into Nora's hand, digging her heel into her hand, forcing her to release her hammer.

Yang smirked.

"I win." She said. Nora sighed and rested her head on the ground.

"Ugh. Best two out of three?" Yang laughed and got off Nora's hand. She offered her hand and helped Nora up.

"Sounds good. Snacks first?" Nora threw her arms up in excitement.

"Hell yeah!" Yang smiled as she left the mat, Nora following her. She let out a surprised yelp when she felt Nora smack her on the rear. She spun towards her, a blush and a scowl on her face. Nora held up her hands innocently as she smiled at her.

"What? I think you earned it."

"Warn me next time." She said. Nora smirked & skipped past her, her arms swing with her movements.

"Will do!"

* * *

She set the book down, and pinched the bridge of her nose; she was having a hard time believing Blake on this book _not_ being smut. She was only twenty pages in and the characters were already having sex. She had skimmed the book as well and found some… interesting illustrations to say the least. At least they had been tactful enough to cover any male indecency with the characters swords. Though she was noticing a lack of pin ups for the female characters. The book had given a rather detailed description of the female protagonist and her… ahem, upper female anatomy. Why couldn't they have an illustration of that? She felt a warmth in her belly as she thought of the protagonist.

She pulled out her scroll and checked the time; no one would be back for a couple more hours. She chewed her lip as she thought; she probably wouldn't be interrupted if she tried. She blushed, and swallowed as the heat started to grow. She got off her bed, went over to the door to make sure it was locked, and returned to her bedside. She hastily stripped out of her clothes, letting them fall to the floor.

She laid on her bed, her legs splayed out. She didn't bother quieting herself as her hands relieved her tension. She visualized the girl of her dreams replacing her fingers, a moan escaping her lips as she thought of her.

Her breasts

Her olive skin

Her dark hair

Her warm smile

Her amber eyes

Her cat ears

Wait… cat ears?

Weiss gasped as a knocking came from the door. She scrambled out of bed, wiping her fingers on her bed sheets before she hastily got dressed. There was another knock at the door.

"Coming!" Weiss said, hurrying to the door. She threw the door open and saw Pyrrha standing in front of her. She raised a hand in greeting and said

"Hello, Weiss. I hope I wasn't disturbing you." Weiss shook her head.

"Its fine, Pyrrha, did you need something?" Pyrrha nodded her head.

"Yes, I was curious how you dealt with your fans?" Weiss cocked her head to the side.

"What do you mean?"

"Well… you're Weiss Schnee. You're the richest girl in the world, an accomplished singer. Surely you know what it's like." Weiss thought back to Violet, how she had noticed her dog ears before anything else and had turned down her request for an autograph. She felt her expression start to fall before catching herself and giving Pyrrha a polite smile.

"Yes, I've had to deal with fans before."

"And how did you handle them?"

"I would turn them away. I…" she sighed, not able to keep the smile up. "In all honesty, I thought I was above them; they weren't worth my time. Why should I waste my time acknowledging their empty praise when I have other more important things to do? And Faunus fans… I wouldn't even think they were being serious with wanting my autograph. I thought they just wanted it to sell or some other less innocent reason. I haven't had to interact with any fans in a while, but I should be kinder to them the next time I see them." Pyrrha's mouth was parted and her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"I… I see, Weiss. I was having the opposite problem. Whenever a fan approached me, human or Faunus, I would stop whatever I was doing to cater to them. But I don't like doing that, it gets so tiring. Would any of those people care about me if they actually knew me? As a person? Not just as, Pyrrha Nikos, the Invincible Girl? But I can't turn them down, I just physically can't. Nora turned a fan of mine away for me the other night and it made me feel bad; they just wanted to meet me. But I was with my friends trying to enjoy myself and I really didn't want to be reminded who I am around other people." She paused. "I'm not sure if I'm making sense. I guess I just wanted to know what it was like for you Weiss. I don't think I can change how I interact with them after so many years, but it's nice knowing I have someone to talk to about it." She frowned. "Though I have to ask, why did you think that about the Faunus?" Weiss sighed, and rubbed her arm.

"I am, was… I'm not sure what I am. But I've held prejudice views towards the Faunus for most of my life. The White Fang have been going after my family for years and I was taught not to trust or believe any Faunus that I meet; they just want to kill me or kidnap me. And as I got older, and some… other things in my life started to happen I just started hating the Faunus in general." She shook her head, avoiding Pyrrha's gaze. "I know that isn't right, and I'm trying to get better. Blake has been helping teach me about the Faunus, and I see how hard they have it and it isn't fair." She looked up at Weiss, straining her neck a bit, and saw Pyrrha offer her a comforting smile.

"You've at least acknowledged you have a problem and are working to improve. Not a lot of people with that mindset are capable of doing that." Weiss smiled back at her. "I've enjoyed talking with you Weiss. I'll let you get back to…whatever it is that you were doing." Weiss nodded.

"Same to you Pyrrha. If you want to hang out and study some time, I can make time for you."

"Thank you, Weiss, I'll keep that in mind." Pyrrha turned and left and Weiss closed the door.

She leaned against the door and sighed. She looked at her hand for a moment before shaking her head; the mood was ruined, she couldn't go back to it. She flexed her hand as she thought back to the girl she had been fantasizing about; black hair, amber eyes, cat…. Her eyes widened.

 _Oh Dust._

She rushed to the bathroom, leaving the door open as she stood before the sink. She stared at her reflection, took a breath, and said

"Mirror, Mirror on the wall… did I seriously just do that?" Her reflection didn't change and Weiss felt her heart fall.

"Mirror? Please, tell me you're still there?" Her reflection grinned at her and Weiss smiled back at it.

"Of course I'm still here, I just wanted you to deal with some things on your own," she said. Weiss frowned.

"Like how you ditched me that night in Vale." Her reflection started to file her nails.

"You resolved that issue well enough on your own." Weiss pouted.

"Well, what am I going to do about… this… new… um," Weiss trailed off, blushing, and her reflection laughed.

"Isn't it obvious, Weiss? You have a crush on Blake. It's not like you haven't had one of those before." Weiss' blush deepened. She had been a little girl and wanted nothing more in the world than to marry her older sister. To be taken away from a dad who hit and a mother who ignored her. To be with the only person who cared about her. She shook her head; this was different. This wasn't the wishes of a little girl, this was a whole different beast.

They had gone on dates to Vale, they had danced together, she had come out to her, and she had been allowed to touch her ears. Her expression fell as she looked at her reflection; at her pretty skin clear of those scars, at the Schnee emblem on her coat.

"And what am I supposed to do about that?" Weiss asked quietly.

"Hmmm. Now that's the question," her reflection said, admiring its nails before dropping the file. "Let's see, we're a part of the family that oppresses her people, and up until recently, hated her entire kind. I can just see Father loving her."

"I don't care what Father thinks," she spat. Her reflection smirked. "Blake can help me get better with her people. I can change, and I can turn the Company around once Father is dead."

"Should we make it look like an accident?" Weiss snorted and shook her head.

"No, I don't want to risk anything." Her reflection shrugged.

"If you insist." Her reflection gave her a cheeky grin. "Are we going to ask her out?" Weiss blushed again and looked down.

"I…I don't know. I mean, I like her, and she clearly likes being around me. But… can we work as a couple? A Schnee and a Faunus? I mean, will we get treated like we did in that club everywhere we go? Faunus calling Blake a, uh, what was it, a _slavosá_ every time she's seen with me? Humans barring her from accompanying me? Her never being able to meet my family? Would we really be able to make that work? I don't want her to have to hide who she is; she is a Faunus, and she is proud."

"You won't know until you try," her reflection said before disappearing. Weiss sighed and looked down into the sink.

"Good talk," she said. She looked at her hands before glancing at her wrists. She looked back up at the mirror, at the scar on her face. She traced the scar on her face with her fingers, her expression falling.

Would Blake love her if she knew the truth behind her scars?

* * *

She knocked on the door, nervous. The door opened and Ren stood in the doorway.

"Hello, Blake, what can I help you with?"

"Hello, Ren. I," she paused, rubbing her arm. "Was hoping you could help teach me how to relax." Ren blinked, his expression neutral.

"Why do you think I would be able to help you with that?"

"Well, you're always so calm. Nothing ever seems to phase you."

"Because I'm dead inside and horribly traumatized." Blake was taken back and stared at him in shock. His expression remained the same as he said "That was a joke." He exited the room and closed the door, leaning against it, his arms crossed. "What did you want me to teach you? I know of a variety of recipes that help me relax. Or were you hoping to learn about the effects of different kinds of incense?"

"I was hoping you could show me how to meditate." Ren nodded.

"Also a good one." Ren started to walk away, motioning for Blake to follow after him. "I know a good spot outside," he said. She smiled and followed after him.

He led her to the water gardens, insects buzzing around. Blake noticed there were less insects out and the flowers were starting to wilt. He stopped in a small clearing, a pool of water and a tree in the clearing. Ren took a seat near the water, crossing his legs, his back straight. He offered Blake a smile as she sat down across from him, resting her hands on her knees.

"Don't expect to get this right off the bat, it takes a long time to figure out how to do this properly." Blake nodded. He closed his eyes and Blake closed her eyes as well.

"Relax your body. Empty your mind." She took a deep breath, and tried to empty her mind of all thoughts. She breathed slowly and steadily, her body starting to feel less tense. She could hear insects buzzing around them, the rustle of the leaves as the wind blew, the chirping of the birds. She shook her head, trying to block out the noises.

"Try and find your center. Keep your mind clear of any distractions." Ren said, his voice calmer than usual.

Blake focused on her breathing. In, out, in, out, in out. A few minutes passed before Blake felt her mind start to wander again.

Him.

Blake gasped, her eyes snapping open, breathing fast. She saw Ren open his eyes as well, and offer her a comforting smile.

"Something from your past?" Blake closed her mouth, and silently nodded. Ren exhaled through his nose. "I know the feeling. Do you want to continue or was it too much?" he asked. Blake balled her hands into fists and shook her head.

"I can keep going. He won't stop me." Ren smiled again.

"Very good." He closed his eyes, resting his hands in his lap. "Let's start over. Close your eyes." Blake closed her eyes, and straightened her back. "And empty your mind."

Blake took a deep breath, and exhaled. In and out, in and out, in and out.

* * *

She walked down the tarmac, her headphones hanging around her neck. The morning sun shone bright as she walked towards the airship.

"Ruby!" she heard a voice shout. She looked back and saw Jaune and Penny running up to her. She stopped and turned to them, and yelped as Penny tackled her to the ground. She patted Penny on the back as Penny looked at her, their faces inches apart. "You were not in the dorm this morning and you were not at breakfast! Weiss, and Blake, and Yang said you were leaving for the day! Why did you not let me know?"

"I'm just visiting my mom, Penny. It's no big deal." Penny got off of her and offered a hand, which Ruby took. Penny pulled her up, and cocked her head to the side.

"Why are you leaving so early? Are you having breakfast with her?" Ruby shook her head, and noticed Jaune looking at the two of them.

"Does she live close by? Would it be easier to video call her?" Jaune asked. Ruby shook her head.

"I live on Patch, it's not much of a hassle to visit her."

"May I come with you Ruby?" Penny asked, slipping her hand into Ruby's. "It is normal to meet each other's parents' right? You have already met one of my fathers." Ruby forced a smile as Penny looked at her.

"S-sure, if you really want to. I prefer going alone but if you really want to meet her…" she trailed off, thoughts drifting to that lone stone at the cliffside. She shook her head, and saw Jaune rub his arm awkwardly. "Do you want to come too?" she asked.

"If you don't mind. I didn't really have anything planned for the day, and meeting your mom sounds like it would be fun. What's she like?" Ruby opened and closed her hand.

"She's uh… she's really nice." She snorted and grinned. "She's a really good listener; you can sit and talk with her for hours." Jaune smiled.

"She's sounds like an awesome mom. Can't wait to meet her." She gave Jaune and Penny a smile, hoping it seemed genuine.

They boarded the airship, and Ruby slipped on her headphones, pressing play and letting the music fill her mind. She saw Penny and Jaune talk to one another out of the corner of her eye as she listened to the melancholy music. Her eyes felt heavy, her head starting to droop.

When she looked up she was in a snow covered forest. A white cloak hovered in front of her. The cloak began to drift off, weaving in and out of the dead black trees. Ruby followed after the cloak, crunching through the snow, the cold seeping into her. She shivered, her breath coming out in a silver mist as she followed after the cloak. The forest was devoid of any sound aside from the crunch of her boots. She shivered again and wrapped her arms around her body; they offered no warmth. The forest was getting colder and colder the farther in she went, the twisted, gnarled branches of the trees creating a canopy of dead wood above her. Icicles hung from the dead branches like fangs from a beast.

She gasped and fell to the ground, the cold embracing her. She looked back and saw an Atlas soldier, his head at an unnatural angle holding onto her ankle, his dead eyes orange in color. Ruby tried to kick at him but found her other leg being held onto by a shadow, its orange eyes peering at her. She struggled and started to try and crawl away. The soldier and the shadow had her legs in a death grip, their mouths opening and closing, speaking silent words. She struggled harder, clutching fistfuls of snow in a vain attempt to break free, grunting in pain. It was so cold. She looked up and saw the white cloak was still drifting away. She reached out to it.

"Stop!" She screamed. She grunted, digging her elbows into the snow, struggling to move forward. She screamed and looked back to see the shadow stabbing its clawed hands into her legs, crimson dripping from her and into the snow. The soldier's head righted itself, making a sickening crackling noise, and bit into her leg. She screamed again, tears in her eyes. She looked back at the cloak; it was getting so far away. She heard a wolf's howl and saw a pack of mutilated Beowolves move past the cloak, sprinting towards her. The ones with heads, and unmutilated jaws, licked their maws as they descended on her.

The tears ran down her face, freezing in place as the shadow and soldier tore into her legs. She reached out weakly to the white cloak, black spots appearing in her vision, the wolves were so close to her now.

"Mom!" she cried out. "Help me!" she screamed.

The white cloak kept moving forward.

A wolf with the top part of its head missing lunged at her, a roar escaping its lips. It clamped its jaws around her face, its teeth ripping into her face. She screamed as the wolf started to shake her head to and fro, her body like a limp doll as it shook in the wolf's jaws.

Her eyes snapped open, her body still being shaken. She looked over and saw Penny shaking her, saying something, concern on her face. Jaune was standing up, looking concerned as well, and she saw the hatch to the airship was open, sunlight streaming into the ship. Her body felt slick and sticky, and she slipped her headphones off.

"What is it?" Penny stopped shaking her, and laid her hand on Ruby's.

"Are you okay, Ruby? You are sweating profusely and you looked distressed while sleeping." She had been having that nightmare every day since the night of the dance. She offered Penny a smile.

"I'm fine, Penny. Nothing you have to worry about." Penny gave her an odd look but said nothing. She stood up, and offered Ruby her hand, helping her up. Penny kept a hold of her hand as they exited the ship, Jaune walking in front of them.

"You said you live on Patch right?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah, it's a little house out in the woods, we live a bit away from the beach." She said. She let of Penny's hand, and Penny looked at her quizzically. "It okay if I listen to music? You guys can talk to one another." Penny's head tilted to the side and she cocked an eyebrow before saying

"O-okay, Ruby. If that is what you would prefer." Ruby slipped the headphones back on and saw Penny start playing with her hands as they walked, glancing between her and Jaune. She pressed play, the sounds of the morning city and the small talk Penny and Jaune were having disappearing. She followed after them, pulling her hood up, cutting off her peripheral vision. She just followed them through the city and to the docks, the melancholy music the only thing she was paying attention to. The air felt cooler than it had the past few weeks, and Ruby realized that autumn would be here soon. She put her hands in her pockets.

Why did her mom have to die? Why did her mom have to go on that mission? Why couldn't she have been with her a little bit longer? Why did she leave her all alone? Why didn't she keep her promise of doing that puzzle with her when she got back? She scowled. She made her dad shut down. She made Yang sacrifice her childhood to provide for them. She left her to grow up wondering if she would have loved her for who she is. That selfish fucking bitch, leaving her and Yang for some stupid mission to go do who knows what. Nothing was worth leaving them. She felt her lip quiver with anger.

She saw Jaune and Penny stop at the docks, looking at the various ships, Jaune scratching his head in confusion. She bottled up her anger and flashed them a cheerful smile when they looked at her. She lowered her headphones.

"It's the ferry over there," she said, motioning over to a small, barnacle encrusted, white boat with a blue canopy. They looked over at it and Ruby walked past them and towards the boat. She smiled at the ferry owner and paid for herself and Jaune and Penny. Ruby boarded the boat and went to the front, leaning against the salty railing. She loved the smell of sea salt and hey being this close to a harpoon gun was always nice. She heard Jaune and Penny take a spot on either side of her.

"Ruby, are you alright? You seem distant." Penny asked. Ruby nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I usually do this alone so I'm a little nervous having you guys with me." Jaune cocked an eyebrow.

"If you want to have us meet her later, then we can go back and leave you alone." Ruby shook her head.

"Its fine you guys, really."

The boat lurched forward, and, with a yelp, Jaune stumbled and fell to the deck. Ruby laughed and helped him back up.

"I take it you haven't been on a lot of boats?"

"Nah, my family always took the train to Mistral. Never really been on a boat before." He grabbed a hold of the railing, clutching it for dear life as the ship shook, waves hitting the sides. "I mean trains shake a lot but they at least give you a place to sit." Ruby motioned backwards, and Jaune's eyes lit up. He looked back at Ruby. "It okay if I go sit down?" Ruby nodded and he walked away, taking a seat, and leaning back into what Ruby knew was an uncomfortable plastic seat.

"Ruby? Are you positive that you are okay?" Penny asked. Ruby offered her a smile.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Penny played with her hands, looking at Ruby's hands, before saying

"Are you ashamed of me Ruby?" Ruby's eyes shot open, and she grabbed Penny's hands, holding them between the two of them.

"Of course not, Penny. I'm just nervous about visiting her. It's nothing you've done." Penny looked away.

"If you say so Ruby," Penny hiccupped. Ruby held onto Penny's hand and turned back to the railing. They held each other's hands in silence, watching the island of Patch slowly get closer.

They reached the island, and Ruby led them down the gangway. She saw Jaune and Penny looking around in wonder as they walked through the small coastal town. Ruby pretended to not notice the familiar faces waving at her as they walked through the town.

They followed the small dirt path through the woods for a while before Ruby took a turn, walking off the trail and through the tall grass.

"Ruby? Are we going the right way?" Jaune asked.

"Yep!" Ruby chirped. They continued for a few more minutes before the trees thinned out and they reached the end of a cliff, a lone stone marker standing out against the grass. She walked up to the grave and spun on her heels, looking at her friends. They looked confused.

"I thought you said we were visiting your mom?" Penny asked. Ruby nodded.

"We are. She's right here." Realization crept over their faces.

"Your mom…. she's?" Jaune asked. Ruby nodded. "I'm so sorry, Ruby." He said.

"It's fine. She… she passed a long time ago." Penny was staring at the grave, and Jaune rubbed his arm.

"Do you want us to leave?" Ruby shook her head.

"It's up to you." Jaune looked over at Penny, who was still staring at the grave, before looking back at Ruby. He sat down, and motioned for her to do her thing.

Ruby turned back to the grave, rocking back and forth on her heels before she spoke.

"Hey mom, it's been a while." She rested her arms behind her back. "A lot has happened since I last visited. Blake's okay now, and the whole team is getting along a lot better. It's hard being a leader, and I wasn't expecting Beacon to be as hard as it is. I… I've seen and experienced things I really wish I hadn't. Oh! I brought some friends with me this time." She smiled at the grave. "That's Jaune, he's the first friend I made at Beacon, and he's a team leader too. And that's Penny; she's my girlfriend, and she's from Atlas." Ruby dropped to her knees, her smile disappearing.

"I hope you're okay with me dating a girl. Or me being a girl. Sometimes I just… I get really angry at you mom. I miss you a lot, and I wish I got to grow up with you. It's not fair that you died when I was so young, it's not fair how dad reacted after you died, and it's not fair how Yang had to raise me in your place. And I don't like when I get that angry; you didn't mean to die, and I know that if you were still alive you would have taken care of us and loved us." She smiled at the grave again. "I'll try to visit sooner next time. Love you mom." She ran her hand over the grave, feeling the faded and weathered stone. She stood up and turned back to her friends.

"Who wants to go get breakfast?" she asked.

 **And that's all the filler content for vol2. Hope you enjoyed it!**


	27. Field Trip

**Here's the next chapter. Sorry for the delay, not a lot goes on that episode and I was trying to think of ways to extend it or make it more interesting before just settling on this. Hope you enjoy it!**

His eyes flickered between the student profiles on his monitor.

Coco Puphs Adel. One of the top combatants in Beacon Academy and the leader of the team with the fastest completion record of the initiation test. Intelligent and lethal, and known for viewing the Faunus as her equal. She was rather brash however, and prone to violence. She also enjoyed her popularity, a life of solitude wandering Sanus helping strangers does not seem like something she would be able to do for long.

Blake Belladonna. While her skills in combat were impressive and she was quite worldly and knowledgeable, there were some issues. Moody, anti-social, aggressive, and prone to unhealthy behaviors. And although she would probably be comfortable traveling alone helping others, there was the issue of the White Fang. She would no doubt try to use those abilities to help her people, but there was no way of knowing what the White Fang had taught her, and if she would use those abilities against innocent humans.

Violet Paulina Akita. High scores in her academics and in her fights. She was also a member of the team with the second fastest completion record of the initiation test in Beacon history. However, she was a frequent guest of Doctor Duerf's, and seemed to have situational depression. Failing to help a village in time could send her spiraling back into that mental hell.

Pyrrha Diana Nikos…

A knock came from the door and he looked up.

"Come in," he said. The door opened and Glynda entered the room. He gave her a polite nod. "What is it Professor Goodwitch?" She rested her hands behind her back as she stood in the room.

"It's almost time for the speech, and to send the first years on their trips." Ozpin checked the time on his monitor, and like she said, it was almost time.

"Thank you Glynda. I'll be down in a moment." Glynda stayed in place and Ozpin cocked an eyebrow. "Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?" She nodded and approached the desk, her back stiff.

"I've gotten in contact with some old students of mine, and something was brought to my attention I thought I should notify you about." Ozpin interlocked his fingers, resting them on his desk.

"Which is?"

"They've noticed an unusually high amount of Grimm activity in the southeast, specifically in the ruins of Mount Glenn." Glynda crossed her arms. "We both know that place is dead. Why are the Grimm gathering there?" Ozpin frowned.

"An excellent question Glynda."

"Once CFVY have returned, and recovered, we should send them to investigate." She said. Ozpin looked over at his monitor, eyeing Blake's profile. He smiled.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will take care of it."

* * *

She opened the dorm door, carrying the team's mail in her hands. She set Ruby's weapons magazine on her desk, and Yang's motorcycle magazine on her desk before going to her own desk. She set the package down and opened it. She smiled at the familiar sight of the Schnee crest on the bubble wrapped vials of Dust and the white box.

"Whatcha get?" Ruby asked. Weiss looked over at her to see Ruby at her desk, flipping through the magazine.

"I was low on Dust for Myrtenestar and bought some new vials while I was in town with Blake a little while ago. And…" She held up the white box, giving it a little shake, hearing the magazine rattle inside. Ruby cocked her head as Weiss smiled. "I picked her up something as well." Ruby snorted, crossing her arms.

"You're playing favorites Weiss. You never buy Yang or I anything."

"If you two want anything just let me know" She opened the box and tucked the clip away in her pouch. "When we get back from this trip, maybe I can take you and Yang shopping. I'm sure we can find a nice candy store or a mechanics shop or something." Ruby smiled.

"That'd be nice. I didn't think they would have high class candy stores." Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Of course we have candy stores you dolt." Ruby set the magazine back down onto her desk.

"Speaking of when we get back, what do you think about the Vytal Festival?" Weiss titled her head to the side a bit.

"I think it's an important multi-cultural event and look forward to watching it this year." Ruby smirked, resting her hands behind her back. Weiss furrowed her brow. "Why are you smiling like that?" Ruby's smile grew. Weiss' eyes widened. "Tell me you didn't." Ruby shook her head.

"I did," she said.

"You put our names forward to compete in the Tournament." It was a statement, not a question. Ruby nodded, moving her hands from behind her back and doing a small fist pump.

"There's no way to know if we'll get chosen but I thought it'd be fun if we got to compete. I wanted us to be able to fight together for once, where our lives _weren't_ on the line." Weiss huffed and crossed her arms.

"Well I would have preferred it if you told us before you put our names in." Ruby shrugged.

"I mean, I'm pretty sure most of the people here are putting their names in. I doubt we'll get selected. JNPR put their names in it too, and I'm pretty sure they'll get in, what with Pyrrha on the team."

There was a static noise for a second before Glynda's voice filled the room, her voice sounding a little distant. Weiss' eyes flickered upwards as Glynda spoke over the intercom.

"Will all first year students please report to the auditorium." Weiss looked back down and saw Ruby grabbing her scythe, holstering it. Weiss unwrapped the Dust vials and put them in her pouch before grabbing, and sheathing, her sword.

"Blake and Yang have their weapons right? I don't see them on the desk." Weiss asked. Ruby nodded.

"Yeah, I think so," she said. Ruby opened the door and held it open for Weiss as they left the dorm together.

* * *

The spotlight was harsh and he squinted his eyes a bit as he watched the students file into the building. Glynda stood in front of him, in front of a microphone. The room was filled with idle chatter as the students talked amongst themselves while he waited for all the students to arrive. Glynda tapped on the microphone, and said

"Quiet, quiet please." The chatter died down and Ozpin hobbled forward, standing next to Glynda. "Professor Ozpin will be sharing a few words with you all before you leave." She stepped away from the mic and Ozpin stood in front of it. He looked over the crowd of students, clearing his throat before he began.

"On this day, eighty years ago, the largest, most destructive war in Remnant history came to a close. A war of oppression and aggression, a war against the core concepts that make us unique; individuality. Art, self-expression, and even non Common Tongue languages had become forbidden in Mistral and Atlas, and this was something that Vale and Vacuo could not stand for. Those who opposed this tyranny saw to it to start naming their children after one of the core concepts of art; color. It was a sign of resistance to this oppression, to show the world that individuality would never be destroyed or controlled and that the generations to come would uphold this idea." He paused for a moment.

"This act continues to this very day, and we make sure to encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity, as our diversity is what makes us strong." He adjusted his glasses. "On this day, we stand united, the Four Kingdoms having a day of rest. And while the rest of the world enjoys its hard earned peace, we, the Hunters, shall be working to preserve this peace." Screens flickered to life, the Beacon emblem rotating on the blank gray screens. "Today, you shall be shadowing professional Hunters on various missions. Some of you shall be taken out of the Kingdoms for several days, while others may be working within the Walls for the rest of the week. But no matter which path you choose to take, remember this; be safe, remember your training, and to do the best that you can."

The light on him died down as the crowd applauded. He hobbled away as the applause died down and idle chatter filled the room once again.

* * *

Ruby turned to her team as the crowd around them started to move towards the screens.

"This is perfect!" She said with a smile. She hit her fist against the palm of her hand. "We just need to find a Hunter working in the southeast." Her sister smirked at her.

"Give em the slip at night while they're sleeping?" Ruby nodded.

"You know it," she said. Blake crossed her arms.

"What type of mission would that be under?"

"Search and Destroy?" Weiss suggested. Ruby gave a nod; that made sense.

They walked over to one of the screens, waiting for the team in front of them to finish. Once they were done they stepped up, Ruby resting her hand on her chin as she looked over the long list of missions.

"Hmmm, lets see. Oh! Look!" she pointed at one of the mission names: 'CLEAR QUADRANT 5 OF GRIMM', a smile on her face as she turned to her team. "Quadrant Five is in the southeast part of Vale, well outside the Wall. If we slip away we can look for the White Fang." A predatory look entered Blake's eyes at the mention of the group.

"Let's do it," she said. Ruby pressed the mission on the screen and typed in her teams name. She frowned as a red screen popped up. 'ERROR. TEAM ALREADY ASSIGNED TO DIFFERENT MISSION.' She heard Weiss sigh.

"Did you do something wrong, Ruby?" Ruby rubbed the back of her head.

"I don't think I did?' she said. Yang crossed her arms.

"Well how are we supposed to get there now?"

"Mail ourselves?" Ruby offered. She heard a laugh and turned to see Ozpin hobbling towards them.

"That is an option, yes," he said as he came to a stop, leaning on his cane. "But I believe I have a better option." He pulled out his scroll, extending it so they could all see what he pulled up. He turned it around and the screen read 'RECON GRIMM ACTIVITY IN MOUNT GLENN. TEAM ASSIGNED: RWBY'. Ruby cocked her head to the side; she never signed them up for that.

"Mount Glenn's in the southeast?"

"Indeed it is."

"Why are we already assigned to go there?" Yang asked. Ozpin pocketed his scroll.

"As you know, Mount Glenn has been a dead zone for generations. For some reason it has suddenly become a hotspot for Grimm activity. You four have shown to be quite skilled; completing my test rather quickly, fighting and surviving against the White Fang on multiple occasions. With Team CFVY still out on their mission, I need a team I can rely on to get this job done."

"Thank you, sir. We promise not to let you down," Ruby said with a nod. Ozpin shook his head.

"Don't thank me for this Ruby. You four must understand that what you experienced during initiation is but a smidgen of what awaits you outside the Wall. The Grimm do not care, and they will not show you any mercy. Stay together, keep an eye on your partner at all times, and follow your Hunters instructions to the T. He will be helping keep you alive on this mission and your survival centers around him. If it is found that what you will experience out there is too much, he can and will send you back here." Ozpin began to hobble away and Ruby cast a nervous glance at her teammates. "Oh." She heard Ozpin say. He turned around. "Good luck. Brothers be with you. Your flight leaves in," he checked his watch "Five minutes. Best hurry." He began to hobble away again and Ruby looked back at her teammates. Their expressions were grim.

They left the building, the air warm but not terribly hot like it had been most of the summer. Yang sighed.

"Not exactly the most uplifting of going away speeches." She said.

"He told us the truth," Blake said. Ruby swallowed; red mist, the wolf's head, the Nevermore's throat. She shook her head and forced a smile.

"I'm positive we'll be fine team. We can do this." Ruby looked up ahead and saw a large crowd forming. She grunted as a student ran past her, bumping into her shoulder.

"Team CFVY's back!" he shouted. Ruby looked at her team mates and they looked at her before they jogged up to the murmuring crowd, making their way to the front.

Fox was walking forward, his left arm bandaged and the blades on his arms caked in dried black blood. His clothes were ripped and stained with mud and grime. Yatsuhashi followed him, his claymore nicked and also caked in dried Grimm blood. A bandage was wrapped around his head, the white cloth stained brown. Coco was limping, being supported by Velvet. Her beret was shredded, her glasses cracked, a bandage on her cheek. Her leg was in a splint, her pants stained with human and Grimm blood. Her bandoliers were empty. Velvet seemed the least run down, her clothes grimy and bloodied and a few bruises and cuts but nothing as bad as her other teammates.

"Coco!" Yang shouted. Coco and her team stopped and looked over at them as they made their way over to them. Coco flashed them a grin and tried to step towards them, only to hiss in pain, clutching her splinted leg.

"Don't push yourself," Velvet said.

"I'm fine ya big worry wort," Coco shot back.

"You're mission was supposed to end weeks ago. What happened?" Weiss asked.

"Nothing happened, mission went as we expected. It was just…" Velvet's eyes flickered down to Coco's leg.

"The Grimm," Yatsuhashi said. Fox nodded.

"Much more than we were anticipating." Fox said. Velvet's gaze fell, looking at the floor.

"There was so many of them…" she said. Coco kissed Velvet on the cheek.

"And now there's a lot less of them in the world cause we kicked their fucking asses." She said. Velvet snorted, looking back up at Coco. Coco looked over at them. "I'm sure you four will be fine, you're heading out there with a professional." She turned to Velvet and whispered "Those field trips are today right?"

"They are," Fox said. Coco looked over at him and gave him a thumbs up.

"Thanks Fox," she said. She turned back to them. "See? Nothing to worry about."

"Riiiight," Yang said. Coco shrugged and Velvet started to walk away, bringing Coco with her.

"We need to get going, her leg needs actual treatment. But be safe out there okay?" Velvet said.

"And come party with us when you're back!" Coco shouted over her shoulder. Fox led the way as they took Coco to the infirmary. Ruby saw Weiss and Blake glance at each other, worry on their faces. The red mist appeared in her mind again. She saw Yang clench her jaw. She nodded, reassuring herself.

"We can do this girls." They looked at her. "We've never backed down against impossible odds before and we're not gonna start now. We've survived against the Grimm and we'll do it again." A smile crept onto Blake's face. Ruby started to walk towards the air docks, leading her team to meet their Hunter. "And we won't be facing them alone. We'll be fighting alongside a genuine Hunter. A veteran against those horrible monsters."

"Hell yeah!" Yang exclaimed, throwing a fist into the air. Ruby smiled. They could do this, the Grimm stood no chance against the four of them. She saw an airship on the dock, and could hear someone moving around in it. Their Hunter was going to be fearsome, someone who surpassed their combat skills and show them how it's done when it came to killing Grimm.

The Hunter stepped out of the airship; his mane of green hair shoved underneath a hat. Ruby felt herself stop, her jaw dropping, and from the corner of her eye she saw her teammates freeze in place too. Oobleck pushed up his glasses as he greeted them.

"Hello girls!" He smiled, punching his fist into his hand. "Who's ready to fight for their lives?"

 _We're doomed._

 **And that's it!**


	28. Seach and Destroy

**And here's the next chapter! I kinda rushed it, since I don't know if I'm gonna lose power from Irma or not and didn't want to leave ya'll hanging. I hope you enjoy it!**

This had to be a mistake. They were going beyond the Walls, out into a Grimm infested abandoned city, and they were doing that with the least physically imposing, most academia focused professor at Beacon? She shook her head in disbelief as Yang closed Ruby's still open mouth.

"Professor Oobleck?" she asked.

" _Doctor_ Oobleck, Ms. Schnee. I didn't earn a PhD for my health." He said sternly. He began to pace in front of them, his words coming out a mile a minute. "Now then! There's no need for you four to get supplies, as I have already packed everything that we shall need for a reconnaissance missions such as this. We shall be traversing through multiple hazardous terrains, and we shall be getting the minimum required sleep from various camps we will have to set up during our time in the field. We shall be traversing multiple kilometers each day so I hope you are all wearing comfortable shoes." He stopped, and turned to them. "Any questions?" Ruby began to raise her hand before Yang put her hand on Ruby's and lowered it. "None? Excellent! Time for us to depart ladies, we're already," he glanced at his watch "Three minutes behind schedule. Let's move!" He zipped up the pod bay door of the airship.

She looked at Ruby, who was still staring in disbelief at the ship. She gave a very forced smile and swung her arm up.

"Okay team, it looks like we'll be stopping the White Fang with Doctor-" she sighed, the smile falling and her arm falling limp against her side. "I can't even say that out loud. Let's get this over with."

"Get what over with?" a male voice behind them asked. She turned around and saw JNPR, SVDJ, Penny, and Sun and Neptune walking up to them.

"Where ya'll going for your mission?" Sterling asked.

"Out to Mount Glenn. We gotta figure out why the Grimm are there," Ruby said.

"Looks like we're all heading outside the Kingdom," Jaune said. He motioned over to Ren. "He wanted to visit a nearby village and shadow the Huntsmen there." Ren nodded.

"We won't be leaving until tomorrow though," he said.

"And we're heading out to help repair the outer sections of the Walls," Jet said. "We wanted to try something different." Ruby looked over at Sun and Neptune.

"Did you two sign up for a mission somehow?" she asked. Sun laughed and Neptune shook his head, slipping his hands into his jacket pockets.

"Nah, we're heading into Vale to visit Honey and Martin. Just thought we'd say goodbye until you all get back." Ruby turned to Penny, a smile on her lips.

"Are you going with them?" she asked. Penny shook her head and took a step forward before embracing Ruby. Ruby wrapped her arms around her, returning the hug.

"I will be waiting here until you all return. Be safe, okay, Ruby?"

"I will be. We'll be back soon, I promise." They continued to hug, causing the farewell party's expressions to soften and smiles creep up their faces. Weiss turned away from her team leader and towards Violet.

"Violet?" she asked. Violet looked at her in shock, her ears standing at attention.

"Y-yes, Weiss?" she asked. Weiss smiled at her.

"Do you have anything I could sign before we leave?" Violet's eyes widened.

"I thought you said you don't give out autographs?"

"I've reconsidered my stance on them. Do you still want it?" Violet nodded her head, a blush appearing on her cheeks as she fished through her book bag for something. She pulled out a book, and Weiss blushed; it was Ninjas of Love. Violet held the book out in front of her, struggling to look her in the eye.

"It's the only signable thing I have with me right now," she said. Weiss took the book, and pulled a pen, ice blue in color, out of her pouch. _To Violet, sorry this took so long. You're my favorite fan and a good friend. Love, Weiss._ She closed the book, put her pen away, and handed the book back to Violet.

"I'm trying to read that book at the moment, actually," Weiss said as Violet looked at what she wrote, Violet's lip quivering as she read it. "If I get back, would you care to hang out sometime?" she asked. Violet closed the book, holding it against her chest, and nodding, a large smile on her face.

"I would love to, Weiss!" she said.

"Ladies!" She turned around, and saw Oobleck leaning out of the airship, an annoyed look on his face. He pointed at his watch. "We're now five minutes behind schedule!"

Ruby broke her hug, holding onto Penny's shoulders and staring into her eyes before giving her a smile.

"Wish me luck," she said. Penny kissed Ruby on the cheek before saluting,

"Good luck!" She giggled. Ruby let her hands slip off Penny's shoulders and waved at JNPR and the others.

"Don't do anything too crazy while we're gone," she said. Jaune laughed.

"We won't," he said. Sterling held out a fist and Yang bumped it with her own before turning and boarding the airship. Blake gave their friends a nod before boarding the ship as well. Weiss gave them all a smile.

"Good luck on your missions," she said. She turned around and boarded the airship, stepping past Oobleck as he impatiently tapped his foot.

* * *

The wind whipped around her as the ship soared through the air, the yellow-green forests below them a blur as they sped past. She looked away from the open side of the ship and at Oobleck, who was sipping from his canteen.

"I've never really seen you as much of a fighter, Doc. Why are you on a mission like this?" Yang shouted, barely able to hear herself over the wind and the roar of the engines.

"I will admit I am much more of an intellectual but rest assured, I have seen my fair share of tussles as a Huntsmen," he shouted back.

"Why are you talking about mushrooms?" Ruby shouted, scratching her head.

"Tussles, not truffles, Ruby," Blake shouted.

"What?" Ruby shouted. Oobleck adjusted his glasses.

"Aside from my mushroom fighting capabilities, I am the history expert at Beacon academy, and with a minor in archeology, the best suited for a mission such as this." Weiss tilted her head to the side as she looked at Oobleck.

"What does history have to do with a reconnaissance mission?" Oobleck turned to her, his hands making sporadic motions as he motioned with them.

"My dear what a silly question! History is involved in everything, why I'd go so far to say it's the liver of Remnant society!" Weiss blinked.

"That doesn't answer my question." Oobleck sighed.

"The southeast part of Vale is full of lush, untamed forests and deep caves. But it is also the home to one of the Kingdom's greatest failures."

"Mountain Glenn." They all turned to look at Ruby. Oobleck smiled slightly.

"Correct." Yang rubbed her chin. Mountain Glenn…. Oh! No wonder the name sounded familiar; she'd written a paper about it in one of her classes. She held up her hand.

"It was an expansion of Vale City, right? To help with the overcrowding in the slums." She looked back out the open door, the forests having disappeared and being replaced with gray, rocky terrain. "But in the end it was overrun with Grimm, something to do with experiments done by Merlot Industries, and Vale left it." She looked away from the door and saw Oobleck's smile had grown. He held up his index finger as he said

"Also correct! It now stand desolate and abandoned, a dark reminder of what happens when we step outside the Walls."

"If the White Fang moved anywhere outside the city, this is the most likely place." Blake shouted. Oobleck adjusted his glasses before nodding in agreement.

"Precisely, Ms. Belladonna. Given the lack of White Fang activity in Vale and the previous lack of Grimm activity, they are the most likely suspects for the cause of the Grimm surge in this area."

The ship jolted, and Yang looked out the door to see them fly over a gigantic wall made of concrete and descend into a broken and cracked pavement road. The ship stopped and hovered several meters above the ground. Yang leapt out of the airship, squinting as she fell through the dust and gravel thrown up by the engines, turning her bracelets into Ember Celica. She heard her team mates leap out after her.

* * *

Ruby landed with a grunt, and quickly stood up. Mountain Glenn was a desolate place; the roads were cracked, brown weeds were growing through, and splotches of long dried blood caked the roads. The buildings were crumbling, some reduced to nothing more than a skeleton made from crossbeams and metal. Dusty, broken glass littered the ground wherever she looked. The grass was dead, a faded yellow. The air tasted stale, and smelt funny. Ruby heard the airship ascend and start to soar away, the roar from its engines growing faint. The only sound left was the wind as it blew around them.

"Ladies." They turned to look at him. He motioned towards the dead city in front of them. "Ozpin may have told you that this is a school assignment but in reality, this is an actual Hunter mission. I need you four to stay close to me at all times, and to do exactly as I say. Understood?" Ruby nodded, tightening her grip on her scythe.

"Do you have any orders for us, Doctor?" Blake asked. He nodded his head.

"I do. You all know that this area has suddenly become a hotspot for Grimm activity, and we discussed one of my theories as to the cause, but I also have several other theories as to what is causing the Grimm-" he stopped, his brow furrowing. Ruby cocked her head to the side.

"Causing the Grimm to what?" she asked.

"Ladies, did Professor Port or Bob ever teach you how to remain invisible to the Grimm?" he asked, continuing to stare past them. Ruby remembered Port telling them that the Grimm had terrible vision, practically blind, and relied upon negative emotions to 'see' their prey. If you stayed happy near a Grimm, then you should be okay, right?

"Kinda?" Ruby said.

"Where did this come from?" Weiss asked. Oobleck motioned with his head to something behind them.

"There is a Grimm, a Beowolf to be exact, approximately ninety one meters from us."

"What?" Yang exclaimed. Oobleck grimaced as they spun around.

The wolf was walking past a heap of rubble, a dead deer in its jaws. The wolf's ears perked up and it dropped the deer, sniffing at the air. Ruby raised her weapon, aiming down the scope. The wolf's head snapped over to her direction, its lips raising up as it snarled. She met its eye through her scope.

"Ruby, do-" She pulled the trigger, and the wolf's head exploded into a spray of black paste. Its body slumped over, starting to smoke. She lowered the scythe, and looked back at Oobleck. His face was neutral, his eyes hidden by his thick glasses.

"Piece of cake," she said.

"Ms. Rose. While the Grimm have a hard time seeing without the aid of negative emotions, they are still apex predators with great hearing and smell. The wolf you just killed was most likely out hunting for its pack, which no doubt lives nearby." Ruby felt her blood turn cold as a howl cut through the air. "And that would be the pack." She looked back to see a dozen or so Beowolves sprinting towards the wolf she had just killed, ignoring the deer as they sniffed at their dead sibling. She saw one lifts its head, sniffing the air before looking over at them. The other wolves noticed and looked over at them, starting to snarl. Ruby swallowed, her throat dry. "And it seems they've noticed us."

One of the wolves let loose a howl and started to charge at them, the other wolves following after it.

"Any plans, Doc?" Yang asked, raising her fists, and taking a stance.

"Show me what Glynda has taught you."

Ruby raised her scythe up again, aiming down the scope. She fired, blowing a hole in the chest of the charging Beowolf, and blowing the head off the one behind it. The other wolves kept charging at them, drool running down their snouts, as they sprinted past their fallen comrades.

"Bees Schnees!" Ruby shouted. Yang, Blake, and Weiss charged forward; Yang's hair ablaze.

* * *

The wolf leading the charge leapt at Yang, its jaws extended and its claws thrown in front of it. Yang snarled and caught the wolf, wrestling it to the ground. The wolf clawed against her grip, snarling and its jaws snapping as Yang struggled to keep her grip, grabbing a hold of its head. With a yell she twisted, and the wolf went limp with a sickening snap. She dropped the smoking wolf and rose up, running after her monochromatic teammates.

Blake ran past Yang while she wrestled with the wolf, Weiss tailing her. Two wolves lunged at her, and she left a clone and leapt over the wolves as they attacked the clone. A confused growl emanated from them as the clone dissipated. Blake smirked as she fell onto them, plunging her swords into their spines. They roared in pain, and Blake jerked her arms up, splitting their backbones in two. The two wolves went limp and Blake ducked as Weiss leapt over her. She looked back and saw Weiss land in the group of wolves, stabbing one through the eye before jerking her blade out and whirling on another wolf, stabbing it through its gaping maw.

There was a crack of thunder and the head of one of the wolves near Weiss exploded, spraying blood and brain fragments over her. Blake pulled her blades out of the smoldering wolves and let out a scream when she felt a set of jaws clamp down on her nape, and a set of claws grab her arms. Struggling through the pain, she turned Gambol Shroud to its gun form, struggling to raise her arm enough to shoot the wolf. The wolf clamped down on her neck harder, her aura barely keeping the fangs off of her. She heard an animalistic scream and felt the wolf's teeth get torn off her neck and its claws ripped off her arms. She spun around, her gun drawn. She was greeted with Yang holding the wolf's jaw apart, its claws on her wrists, and a snarl on her lips. With a yell she split the wolf's jaws apart, splitting its head in two.

Blake gave Yang a nod and turned towards Weiss, her weapons at the ready. Weiss' blade was on fire, smoldering wolf corpses lay around her. She ran a wolf through the throat, its blood causing the fire on the blade to sputter, before yanking her blade out. The last wolf snarled at her before there was a boom, and the top part of its head was blown off. It slumped to the floor, its brains slipping out. They looked back at Ruby who gave them a thumbs up and a smile as she lowered her scythe to her side.

"Good job team!" she said.

* * *

Ruby turned to Oobleck, holstering her weapon. He was rubbing his chin, a thoughtful expression on his faces. He started to walk towards her teammates, glancing at each of the dead Grimm as they smoldered and smoked. Yang's breathing was heavy when they got to her, the fire in her hair slowly dying.

"You know, Doc, I was hoping to see you in action. You know, maybe helping with that fight?" Oobleck smirked.

"I am in action, my dear. Studying the ruins of this once great city, and the Grimm you fought for any irregularities is what I do best." He pushed his glasses up. "And rest assured, if I thought any of you were in danger of dying I would step in. But none of you were, so I didn't." Yang snorted, and Oobleck frowned. "I take your safety very seriously Ms. Xiao Long, and there is more to being a Hunter then just killing. Being a Hunter isn't always something out of fairy tale, its bleak and sometimes you're stuck traveling across a wasteland, or scouring ruins, or just scouting out an area. This is a job after all, and one that you have all signed up for."

"Of course I know it isn't like a fairy tale." Yang said. She crossed her arms. "I know what I signed up for." Oobleck cocked an eyebrow at that before turning and walking away. He motioned forward with his hand.

"Let us head out girls, we have a lot of ground to cover, and doubtless more Grimm to try, and, hopefully evade." He stopped and looked back at them. "Do any of you need an aura booster? I saw you take a nasty bite back there, Ms. Belladonna." Ruby looked over at Blake, who shook her head. She rubbed the back of her neck.

"I'll be fine, Doctor. Let's save those for a real emergency." Oobleck nodded and resumed his forward march.

"Very well. Onward!"

* * *

The silence in the city was oppressive as they traveled. No birds chirping. The air was dead, not a single breeze. None of them were talking. Oobleck led the way, his strides long as he led them through the city. Yang struggled to keep her nerves in check; this silence was killing her. It was easier when she knew when the Grimm were gonna attack or where they would attack from. There were so many different places for a Grimm to ambush them from; that shattered window, the gaping hole in the wall that Ruby was walking past, from the rooftops, a Nevermore could swoop down from its nest on one of the skyscrapers and-

A howl cut through the air and they came to a stop. Several other howls rose up in response. Yang's head swiveled to and fro; how far away were they? She grit her teeth, clenching her hands into fists. Minutes dragged by agonizingly slow, none of them moving. She heard Oobleck exhale, and saw him turn towards them.

"I believe we should be safe from those Grimm at the moment." Oobleck began to move forward again, and Ruby glanced back at them, gave them a reassuring nod, and followed after him. Yang swallowed and unclenched her fists.

They continued onward, the buildings starting to thin out until they reached what must have once been a plaza. The grass was tall, easily up to her waist. A couple of relatively intact buildings stood near the plaza, she could see the faded mascot for a Vale burger restaurant on one of the buildings. Oobleck was crouched next to the grass, inspecting something or another. Yang crossed her arms, feeling uneasy.

"Ms. Rose?"

"Yeah, Doctor Oobleck?" Ruby asked.

"As a team leader, what would you do in a situation such as this? Multiple buildings to scour for clues, but a multitude of hidden enemies, and only the five of us to deal with all of it. Night also seems like it will be approaching in a few hours." Ruby looked back at them, and then at the various buildings. She chewed her lip, drumming her fingers on her scythe.

"I think we should set up camp, and explore whatever's nearby in pairs." Oobleck shrugged off his backpack and rested it in the dirt before standing up, dusting his hands off.

"An excellent idea." He turned towards them, motioning to his backpack and then at Ruby, Blake, and Weiss. "You three, set up camp. Do make sure it is in a building free of Grimm. Yang and I will explore the nearest building while you take care of that." Ruby picked up the backpack, and turned towards a nearby building. She went over to it, Blake and Weiss following her. Oobleck turned to her, and motioned for her to follow him as he stepped into the grass. She cocked her head to the side at the thermos he had slung over his shoulder, shrugged, and followed after him.

They stopped in front of the burger restaurant, and Yang gave Oobleck a look as he looked at the shattered windows and caved in door.

"You think the White Fang are hiding out here?" she asked. He shook his head.

"The White Fang are just one of my theories as to what would cause a surge of Grimm in this area. It is also possible that there is a Raider tribe here, or refugees from a nearby destroyed village. This place was abandoned long ago but I wouldn't blame them for looking for food here." He tried the door, causing it to groan as he struggled to move it. He let go and went to the window, hopping through it and into the restaurant. Yang went to the door and yanked it open, nearly ripping it off its rusted hinges.

The restaurant was falling apart, parts of the ceiling dangling, and the tiles cracked and grass growing through it. Dust covered the stained tables and the upholstery in the seats looked like it had been chewed on. It was a small building, and she was able to walk the entire building in a few minutes. She couldn't see any signs of recent activity, aside from her and Oobleck's prints in the dust. Wait. She narrowed her eyes at a small set of wolf tracks in the dust, leading to behind the counter. She took a step towards the counter and peeked over it. There wasn't anything there, just more tracks, and a small clear spot in the dust. She frowned and stepped back from the counter.

"Ms. Xiao Long?" she looked over at Oobleck, who was crouched next to one of the tables as he looked at something under there.

"Yeah?" He stood up, brushing dust off his hands and turned to look at her, his glasses resting on his nose.

"May I ask why you wanted to be a Huntress?"

"To fight monsters and sa-" He shook his head.

"Incorrect. That is what you _do_. I'm asking _why_ you do it." She snorted, and looked away.

"Why, huh?" she shrugged. "I guess I wanted to be one because I'm a thrill seeker. I don't really have anything else planned, so why not get wrapped up in globetrotting adventures and save people?" she said. He stared at her before pushing his glasses up.

"I see. And may I ask what you mean by, nothing else planned?"

"Huh?"

"What did you mean by that? That is my question." She scowled at him.

"Hey Doc, can you no-" she stopped when she heard a high pitched growl coming from under the table Oobleck was standing in front of. She bent over and gasped when she saw a Beowolf pup cowering underneath the table; it was glaring at her, its lips pulled back into a snarl. Oobleck held up a hand.

"Do not worry, Ms. Xiao Long, that pup appears to be abandoned and has been living here on its own. I do not believe it is a threat to any of us as long as we keep a cool head." She looked at it; it was actually kinda cute. She looked back up at Oobleck.

"You're not gonna make me kill it are you?" He laughed and she saw the pup tilt its head at the noise.

"No, not today, Ms. Xiao Long. I think we're done here. I don't see any signs of life here besides our little friend." He climbed onto the table before hopping out of the window and disappearing in the grass. Yang sighed and followed after him.

* * *

She grimaced at the crackling as she walked over the broken glass in the building, Oobleck observing various things as he walked. He started to climb the stair leading to second floor when he stopped, and sat down. Weiss opened her mouth and closed it, her eyes going wide when she heard a growling to her left.

She drew her sword and spun around to face the Beowolves. There was three of them, boney spines sticking out of the back of the closest wolf. She scowled, and pulled the trigger on her sword, Blue. The lead wolf charged at her, and she slammed her blade into the ground, icicles shooting forward and impaling the wolf through the stomach, its intestines slipping out and its blood turning the ice black.

"Ms. Schnee, may I ask why you wanted to become a Huntress?" she heard Oobleck ask calmly. She spun towards him, confused.

"How is this relev-" she shrieked as one of the wolves tackled her to the ground, glass cutting into her jacket. She threw her blade between her and the wolf's mouth, grunting as the wolf's jaws snapped around the metal. She pulled the trigger, Red, and her blade caught fire. The wolf screamed and got off of her, swatting at its maw to try and stop the flames. Weiss got to her feet, scowling.

"I mean a girl such as yourself certainly didn't need to do something like this. You're a Schnee, born into fame and fortune. Why throw all that away and spend your days fighting monsters and protecting the lowborn? Why not take up a cushy job in Atlas?" Oobleck asked. She ignored him and lunged at the wolf, stabbing up and through its skull. The wolf went limp on her blade, the fire still sputtering in its mouth. She spun around, where was the last wolf? She let out a yell as she felt something crash into her left side, throwing her backwards. She struggled to her feet, and glared at the wolf. It snarled at her before charging, and Weiss placed a glyph below herself. The wolf lunged, swinging with its claws, as the glyph launched Weiss into the air. A second glyph caught her, and she leapt from it, impaling the wolf through the spine. It let out a cry, and squirmed for a moment before going limp, black smoke starting to rise from its corpse.

Breathing hard, she yanked her blade out and turned towards Oobleck.

"I wanted to become a Huntress, because I am a Schnee. My grandfather created what my family is today and I intend to uphold his honor. It's my duty to fight for those who can't fight for themselves." Oobleck kicked his leg absentmindedly in the air.

"Interesting. If only the rest of your family felt that way." Her jaw dropped before she scowled.

"How dare you!"

"Will you deny that your father has done rather terrible things?" Weiss looked away, anger boiling.

"There is more to my family than just him," she said. She heard Oobleck move and looked over to see him disappear to the second floor. She sheathed her sword, and stormed off after him, glass crunching beneath her heels.

* * *

She kicked the door in with a grunt, her gun drawn and aimed at anything inside. The door fell to the floor, throwing up a cloud of dust, and the noise echoing in the room. The room was empty, sunlight was filtering in through the hole in the ceiling. She cautiously walked in, her gun steady in her grip. Her ears twitched at a noise near the ceiling and she spun towards the sound.

A swarm of black feathers and squawking beaks came at her, cawing and screeching. She fired several shots, her aim true, hitting each Nevermore and reducing them to puffs of blood and feathers. She heard Oobleck enter the building behind her and went over to the Nevermore corpses, what remained of them as they started to smoke. She looked around the building; it was deserted, not a single sign of life, a thick layer of dust on all the furniture, and walls weather worn and lacking color.

"Ms. Belladonna, you seem to carry yourself with a sense of purpose. Why did you choose to become a Huntress?" She sheathed her weapon.

"There's too much pain in this world, Doctor. Bigotry, inequality, corruption. Someone has to take a stand against it." He lifted up a feather, bringing it to his eye.

"Very well. How?" She blinked.

"I…. uh…."

"How, Ms. Belladonna? How can one Faunus bring about all that change?" Her eyes shot open.

"How did you know I was-?" He stood up, dropping the feather.

"I didn't, but I had a suspicion. But rest assured Ms. Belladonna, if you want to continue presenting as a human, then you're secret is safe with me." He looked around the vacant room, and rested his hands on his hips. "I believe this building is deserted. Let us head back." He walked past her and Blake looked at the smoking feathers before following after him.

* * *

She stifled a yawn and raised her scope back up to her eye, scanning the nearby buildings for any movement. The sun was starting to set, its golden rays hidden behind many of the crumbling buildings. She saw movement from one of the buildings and looked over, sighing in relief when she saw Blake and Oobleck leaving the building they had visited. She lowered her scythe again, resting it against her while Blake and Oobleck trekked through the grassy plaza. She collapsed her weapon and holstered it when Blake and Oobleck entered the camp.

"Ruby!" she heard Oobleck exclaim, while he walked in with a solemn faced Blake. "Night will be upon us soon, let us secure the perimeter. You three," he pointed at Weiss, Blake, and Yang. "It will be getting rather chilly tonight so a fire is in order. You all know how to make one, yes?" They nodded. "Excellent! Come now, Ruby!"

She followed him out of the building, walking through the rubble that covered the streets. She heard a distant rumbling, and gripped her scythe as Oobleck came to a stop at the end of the road. She slowed to a stop, her jaw dropping and her eyes widening.

A giant forest stretched out in front of them, and towering above the trees were Grimm. The Grimm were humongous, their ink black skin covered with spiny plates of bone armor, their tusks long and curled. She could hear their roars, loud even from where she stood.

"What are those," she asked. "They look awesome."

"That my dear, is a Goliath." He turned to her. "Ruby, may I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Why did you choose to be a Huntress?" She cocked an eyebrow as she thought for a moment.

"Well, I guess I wanted to be a Huntress because I want to be a hero. I want to save people from the Grimm."

"Interesting. So being a Hunter makes you a hero?" She frowned and looked away. A white cloak. The smell of whiskey.

"Well, I mean, I know not all of them are heroes. I know some are just well trained mercenaries. But there are some who are, and there are some who gave their lives helping others. I want to be like them." She looked back at Oobleck to find him smiling.

"I see," he said. Ruby's head snapped over towards the goliaths when she heard one roar. One of the goliath's were looking over at them, its red eyes gleaming in the twilight. Ruby drew her scythe, popping the scope out. Oobleck placed a hand on the scythe, lowering it back down.

"I'm afraid your rifle will do nothing more than irritate a Grimm of that size."

"But what if it attacks us?"

"Highly doubtful. The Grim are not mindless killers, Ruby. They are capable of learning, and those that you see over there have no doubt lived for hundreds of years." She holstered her weapon. The goliath looked away from them and started walking again.

"So?"

"So, in those hundreds of years those Grimm have no doubt learned what happens when you kill a human this close to a city's border. They know that they would die, that their pack would die. That what we lack in raw strength we make up for in willpower, and that the death of one human, will bring many humans down upon them. They may rule the wilds of Remnant, but humans are the kings and queens in our Cities, and they have learned not to attack without good reason."

"Good reason?" she asked. Oobleck nodded.

"All though those Grimm know what happen when they approach a city, they are still drawn to it from all the negativity that happens in them. Hatred, depression, racism, murder, rape, all unfortunate daily events in Vale City and the other major cities in Remnant. And those Grimm know, that if a disaster were to strike a city and the negativity be too much, then there would be nothing stopping them from overwhelming the city. So they wait, and hunt nearby, just outside our border of concern." He watched the goliath's walk for a while before turning and leaving. Ruby followed after him.

"Doctor Oobleck?"

"Yes?"

"I've been wondering, what made you want to be a Hunter?" He stopped, sweeping his arm in a wide arc, pointing at the various buildings.

"Tell me, Ruby, what do you see?" She looked around her; it looked more or less the same as the rest of city, nothing too different.

"I see some broken buildings, empty streets, uhhh. That's it." Oobleck shook his head and started to walk again.

"You know what I see, Ruby? I see lives that could have been saved. I see senseless death that could have been prevented. As a Hunter it is my job to protect the people of Remnant. Yes, I can do this with more traditional methods via violence and combat but I believe I can be a bigger help if I use the greatest thing humanity has; its mind. As a teacher I am able to take the most dangerous weapon of them all, knowledge, and gift it to all the students who pass through my classroom."

He stopped again, looking at the ground. Ruby followed his train of sight and saw a dark brown stain on the cracked pavement.

"When I see a wasteland like this, I see lives that could have been saved. But not just that. I see this as an opportunity to study what caused a tragedy like this and help prevent more Mountain Glenn's in the future." He looked away from the dried blood and at her. His features were hard to make out in the twilight but she could see he had finally dropped his neutral expression he had held for most of the day, and it was replaced with tired eyes and turned down lips.

"I am a Hunter, Ruby, because there is nothing else in this world I would rather be."

* * *

Yang groaned as she sat down next to the fire. She took her boots and gauntlets off, resting them next to her bedroll. The sun had set and city was pitch black outside their camp.

"I can't believe we didn't find anything." She said. Blake crouched next to the fire, prodding it with a stick, the light dancing over her face.

"We've always had luck with being in the right place at the right time in the past. It's only natural our luck would run out eventually." Yang sighed, resting her head on her knees. She saw Weiss standing off to the side, her arms crossed. She raised her head.

"You okay, Weiss?" She asked.

"Did Oobleck ask you two why you wanted to become a Huntress?" Blake looked up from the fire, glancing at Yang. Weiss uncrossed her arms.

"He… he asked you too?" Blake asked. Weiss nodded.

"What did you tell him?' Yang asked. Weiss sighed and sat down near the fire.

"I told him that it was for my family's honor; to uphold our legacy." She shook her head. "But there's more to it than that." Yang rested her head back on her knees.

"I said it was cause I'm a thrill seeker. But… I don't know, really."

"I don't know either," Blake said. They looked over at her. "I know what I _want_ to do; I want to bring equality to my people. But I don't know how to do it. I figured I'd just figure it out one step at a time but…" Yang shook her head.

"We shouldn't be worrying about this. We know why we're here." She looked at them; they couldn't meet her eye as they stared into the fire. Her mouth parted a bit. "Right?" They didn't say anything, and Yang sighed.

"A textbook example of a fire! Professor Bobadilla would be proud!" Oobleck exclaimed as he came into the camp. Ruby zoomed past him, a black and red blur, before coming to a rest next to the fire, warming her hands.

"So warm," she said with a content smile. Oobleck fished through his pack before pulling out five shrink wrapped bars, and four juice boxes. He tossed one to each of them before unwrapping his own bar. He took a bite and motioned for them to do the same. Yang gave the bar an odd look as she unwrapped it; it was a dark brown color.

"A Hunter Bar ladies, standard meal supplement for all Hunters while out on a mission. It has every vitamin, mineral, calorie and nutrient needed to keep you fit and active." He wolfed down the rest of the bar and stuffed the wrapper into his pack. "We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow, so eat your dinner and get some rest. I shall be taking the first watch but all four of you will have to keep watch at some point as well tonight. Who volunteers for second watch?" Yang raised her hand, and Oobleck nodded at her. "I'll leave the rest up to you three. Good night, girls!" He zipped over to the hole in the wall, taking a seat on a pile of rubble outside.

Yang took a bite of the bar, and grimaced at the taste. She swallowed, and took a sip from the juice box. Grape?! She groaned; this was gonna be a long trip. Ruby didn't seem phased by the terrible taste, or ungodly juice flavor, and was eating her dinner no problem.

"Hey Ruby?" Ruby looked over at her, sipping from her straw. "Did Oobleck ask you why you wanted to be a Huntress?" Ruby frowned, but nodded her head. "What did you tell him?" She set the juice box to the side, and rubbed the back of her neck, looking from her to Weiss to Blake.

"I told him I wanted to be a hero." She finally said.

"And… there's more to it than that, isn't there?" Weiss asked. Ruby nodded. She looked at each of them.

"He asked you three, too?" They all nodded. She frowned, before she shrugged and stuffed the last of her bar into her mouth. She chewed it fast, swallowed, and drained her juice box. "Weird," she said. She flopped down on her bedroll. "Night team!" She rolled over on her side, wrapping her cloak around her like a blanket. Yang gave her an odd look, before looking back at the fire, nibbling at the Hunter bar.

Blake tossed her juice carton into the fire before laying down on her bedroll. Weiss went over and put her wrapper and juice box into the pouch before going back to her bedroll and laying down. With a grimace Yang scarfed down the rest of the bar, and drained her juice carton. She gagged and tossed the empty packages on the ground before getting on her bedroll. She closed her eyes, hoping sleep would take her. She heard a wolf howl and she turned onto her side, her back to the fire.

 **And that's it.**


	29. Mountain Glenn

**I'm not dead! Thank you for the concern with the hurricane, and I'm glad I uploaded that last chapter when I did because I lost power literally minutes later, and didn't get it back till a week later. Here's the next chapter, hope you like it, and holy cow less then 2 weeks till Vol5!**

The room was a sterile shade of white. The floor, the ceiling, the walls, all the same white color. He hated this room, at the sterile smell in the room, at the beeping of the machine that his precious little girl was hooked up to.

She was sleeping, she spent so much time doing that in this place. She was lithe, too sick to eat solid foods. Her freckled skin had grown pale, her ginger hair long lost to the treatment.

He turned to the man behind him, flexing his gloved hand.

"This procedure, you swear she'll be okay?" he asked. The man nodded. He exhaled, and closed his eyes. "Then I'll see to it you get the resources you need, Doctor Polendina."

His eyes snapped open, and he sat up, resting his head in his hands.

That dream. Those memories.

He tossed his bedsheet off and went to his dresser, pulling out his uniform.

* * *

She saw him standing at the edge of the tarmac, staring over the lake, his back to her. One arm hung at his side, the other held in front of him.

"Trouble sleeping?" she asked. He looked back at her, shoving something into his coat pocket. His eyes were red and puffy.

"I didn't hear you come up." He rolled his shoulder, and held up his gloved hand. "Arm was acting up."

"Ah, yes. So logically you got dressed, and left your room to come stare out over the lake." She took the spot next to him, and looked at him. He continued to stare ahead, his face expressionless. "What's wrong, James?"

"I've known Ozpin for years. I've trusted the man for so long, and I wish that he would trust me about the transfer and about Winter like I've trusted him in the past."

"We both know why we are opposed to that idea." He sighed.

"Winter isn't like Jacq-"

"That wasn't what I was talking about." His mouth closed, and he looked away from her. "We don't know if the machine will work like it's supposed too. We don't want to lose whoever we put in there. And if we do lose them, what are we going to do? Try to teach an amnesiac who they are, and how to handle that power, and just send them off into the world to spend the rest of their days alone?" She saw him clench his gloved hand into a fist.

"It will work this time," he said.

"You don't know that."

"It has to." He clenched his hand tighter. "It has to work." She put her hand on his shoulder.

"James, you must understand why we are so hesitant to use it?" She couldn't see it but she felt him start to tremble. "I know you haven't told Ozpin the entire truth about Penny and the transfer machine. But Qrow and I do know, and we're terrified of what could happen." She paused, and looked over at the city across the lake, its lights flickering on the water. "You're asking me to sacrifice one of my daughters. I don't want them to die like Penny did." He brushed her hand off as he turned to her.

"My daughter isn't dead." She sighed, and closed her eyes.

"That machine isn't your daughter, James. Doctor Polendina was working on an android for Amber long before Penny got sick; its body is nothing more than a weapon you and Polendina made to fight Salem." She took a breath. "It isn't your daughter; it wasn't born, it doesn't have any of Penny's memories, it can't age. It isn't a real person, James. Putting your daughter's soul into it isn't going to bring her back." She opened her eyes and saw he had his back to her.

"Are you finished?" he asked, his voice calm.

"Yes," she said. His back was rigid as he spoke.

"Then goodnight, Glynda." He walked away, his movements stiff. Glynda sighed and turned back towards the lake.

* * *

The camp was quiet, aside from the cracklings of the fire. Yang rolled to her side, and slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times to adjust to the light from the fire. Ruby had her back to her, wrapped up in her cloak. Weiss was on her back, an arm on her stomach, and her mouth hanging open. Blake was turned towards the fire, an arm propped under her head. Her bow was missing, and her ears twitched occasionally.

"Blake? Are you awake?" Yang whispered. Blake's body didn't move, her eyes remaining closed as she answered.

"Yes."

"Why was he asking us about why we wanted to be Hunters? What was he getting from it?"

"Maybe he was curious?"

"You really think that's why?" Blake's eyes opened, the light from the fire making her eyes look like gold.

"No." She looked over at Weiss. Her mouth had closed.

"Weiss, you up?"

"How could I sleep with you two talking?" Weiss turned to her side, facing both of them. Yang rolled her eyes and looked over at her sister. She was still tucked up in her cape.

"Ruby?" There was a pause before Ruby rolled over, the light from the fire reflecting in her silver eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Have you been awake this entire time?" Ruby nodded.

"Yang," Weiss said. Yang looked over at her to see her staring up at the ceiling, hands resting on her stomach. "I think he was…" she sighed. "I honestly don't know what he was trying to do." She continued to stare up at the ceiling. "I told him I wanted to uphold my family's honor, but it's probably not what you all think." She closed her eyes. "I'm not blind to what my father has done. To the Faunus, to our employees, our miners. My grandfather made my family into what it is today, and he did it with respect, and passion. Yes, he got rich from the Dust he was manufacturing but he was down there in the mines helping bring it up. He wasn't better than his employees, he was one of them. Ever since my father took over, the Company has worked in a more morally….gray area."

"To put it lightly," Blake said. Weiss sat up, glowering at Blake.

"Which is why I am going to set thing right! If I had just stayed home I probably wouldn't have even cared about what was happening to the Faunus, Blake. If I had just stayed in Atlas and taken a job in the Company as some executive or as a secretary, what would I be able to change? Nothing. My father has raked my family's name through the mud and made my sister's and I's lives hell." She scowled, her words dripping with venom. "He was not the start of the Schnee family. And I refuse to let him be the end of it." Blake sighed as Weiss stared at her.

"I said I wanted to help stop the pain in this world. To help end the inequality my people face." Blake said. She rolled onto her back, the fire casting her in shadows. "I spent most of my life trying to attain that dream. And I wasn't alone. I had a… partner, I guess you could call him." She took a deep breath, her hand resting on her cheek. "His name was Adam." Yang sat up, and Weiss' mouth fell open.

"Is this the Adam I heard you call out in your sleep?" Weiss asked.

"The one that you drew in your notebook?" Yang asked.

Blake closed her eyes and nodded.

"I've done some things I'm not proud of. Stuff I don't want to talk about. But when I was with him, everything felt right. Like we were making a difference, that we could change the world for the better, at least for my people." She rubbed her cheek as her eyes opened. "And as I got older, he started to change. He started getting more aggressive, not just towards humans, and I decided to leave him after he…" Yang saw a tear run down Blake's cheek.

"What did he do?" Weiss asked quietly. There was a long pause, and Yang could barely hear Blake when she finally answered.

"He hit me." She heard Ruby inhale sharply.

"Sweet Dust," Weiss said. Yang scowled, anger coursing through her veins.

"Let me meet him." Yang said, a growl in her voice. Blake shook her head, putting her hands over her eyes.

"He's out of my life now. And I don't plan on ever seeing him again." She lowered her hands. "I want to forget about that part of my life; I wanted a fresh start. That's why I joined Beacon. I had always heard that Hunters were the noblest warriors on Remnant. What better way to help my people then to become one of them." She looked over at them, tears welling in her eyes. "But once I leave… once this team disbands… what am I supposed to do? How can I undo thousands of years of hate?"

"You'll figure something out, Blake. You don't back down from things." Blake snorted.

"You're so wrong, Yang. I'm a coward. I ran away from my family to be with Adam. I ran away from him after he turned out to be a monster. I ran away from all of you after you found out I was a Faunus. I ran away from Weiss when I insulted her that night. I'm not brave, whenever I'm faced with a problem I run away." She grabbed her arms, closing her eyes. "I'm such a coward even my semblance helps me run away. A shadow of myself left to take my hits. I can't do anything."

"That's not true, Blake." Weiss said. Blake opened her eyes and looked over at Weiss. "I can't comment about your family, but you had a good reason to run in all those other situations. And if you can change my mind about the Faunus, I know for a fact you can make a difference." Blake smiled, and wiped at her eyes.

"Thank you, Weiss." Ruby sat up, resting her head on her knees, staring into the fire.

"I told him I wanted to be a hero. Like the ones in the stories I loved as a kid." She said.

"That's really noble," Blake said. Ruby shook her head.

"But it's not true." She buried her face further into her knees, her voice muffled. "I mean, I _do_ want to be a hero; I want to help people and protect them from the Grimm, and try to make this world a better place. But the stories that really made me want to become a Hunter wasn't from the ones I read. It was the ones my dad and uncle told me about my mom." Yang's face softened as she watched Ruby. "I don't remember my mom very well. She died when I was about seven. I have more memories talking to her grave then I do of talking to her. My dad and uncle talked about her so much, telling me stories of her saving villages, of the crazy adventures her and my uncle got into at Beacon. I want to be like my mom, someone kind and caring, and that made this world a better place before she left it." She shook her head. "But I guess deep down… I just want to be someone she would be proud of."

Yang watched her sister, a tugging at her heart at the look in Ruby's eyes as she stared into the fire. She had known Ruby missed their mom, she had followed her to the grave a few times to watch out for her and make sure she made it there okay and overheard what Ruby talked about. But she didn't know how much Ruby missed her, how much Ruby needed Summer in her life.

She sighed; guess it was her turn.

"At least you all have something that drives you," she said. She rolled onto her stomach, looking at the floor as she spoke. "I've never really had a lot of goals in life, I've always kinda just… gone with the flow." She shrugged. "And I guess that's fine; that's who I am." She looked up from the concrete. They were all looking at her. "I wanted to become a Hunter because I don't know what else to do with my life. Ever since I was nine, I've been fighting. Fighting to pay my father's bills, fighting to let Ruby be who she is, it only felt natural to go into a job like this."

"Being a Hunter, I don't have to worry about what to do next in life, as long as I keep traveling and fighting I'll find things to do to fill my life. I've been protecting and helping people most of my life, and I like how it makes me feel when I see the smile I put on people's face after I help them." She looked at the fire, at the red glowing embers. "After I find out why Raven left, I really won't have any goals in my life. And… that scares me honestly."

"Who's Raven?" Her eyes widened at her sisters question. Oh shit. She saw Blake and Weiss glance to each other before looking at her, Weiss biting her lip and Blake's ears flattened against her head.

"She…. She's no one, don't worry about it." Yang said. Ruby frowned.

"Then why are you trying to find out why she left? Who did she leave?" Yang's mouth felt dry as she tried to avoid her sister's gaze.

"She's just someone… someone from my past."

"Is she an ex? Fight club partner? Who?"

"Can you just drop it!" Yang said angrily. Ruby looked taken back before scowling.

"No, I want to know who this lady is. Why finding her is your only goal in life. You're my sister, Yang, I want to know." Yang's lip quivered as she struggled to think of an excuse. Ah fuck it, Ruby had to know some day. She took a breath to calm herself, exhaled, and closed her eyes.

"My only goal in life is finding out why my mom left me." She opened her eyes, and saw Ruby looking at her in confusion, her eyebrows knitted.

"Our mom is dead, Yang," Ruby said.

"Summer…. Wasn't my mom." Ruby blinked, her mouth opening.

"What?"

"Raven is my mom. She's Uncle Qrow's sister, so she'd be your aunt." Ruby shook her head.

"How? How do we have different moms? Did dad…" She shook her head again. "Did he cheat on mom?" Yang shook her head, throwing up her hands as she did.

"It's not like that. Dad was with Raven before he got with mom. She left after I was born."

"So what, my mom was just his rebound?" She spat.

"Ruby, it's not like that." Ruby was staring at her in disbelief.

"Is she the lady that you were looking for in that club you took me to?"

"You took Ruby to a club?" Weiss asked.

"Well, I mean, yeah. But I didn't take her inside."

"No, because you tore that place apart." Ruby said as she stood up.

"Ruby, why are you acting this way?" Yang asked. Ruby pointed at herself.

"Because how could you keep this from me, Yang? I've trusted you with everything my entire life; I have never kept a secret from you. When I was so scared that dad would stop loving me and throw me out of the house, I knew that I would at least have you. Do you know how much trust I put into you when I first came out? And yet you don't care about me enough to let me know we have different moms?" Ruby jabbed her finger towards Blake and Weiss, who shrunk back a bit. "Did you tell them, Yang? Huh?" Yang sighed and hung her head.

"I… I did tell them," she finally said. She looked back at Ruby and saw she was crying. Her voice cracked when she spoke.

"Why? Why would you tell them first?" Yang struggled to find an answer. Ruby stomped her foot, jabbing her finger at them again. "Answer me!" she yelled.

A wolf's howl cut through the air, and she saw Oobleck storm into the camp.

"Ladies, what is with all this chit chat? You are all supposed to be sleeping!" He focused on Ruby, who was still standing. "Ms. Rose, I know this is going to sound insensitive, but please calm down and lower your voice. We do not want to be calling Grimm to our camp during the middle of the night."

Ruby scowled at him, shaking her head in disbelief before she looked at all of them, her gaze lingering on Yang the longest. Yang's heart broke as she stared into her sister's eyes; at the betrayal, and confusion in them. Ruby snatched her weapon up from the ground and bolted.

* * *

She could hear them calling out her name as she ran. It was pitch black, the moon hidden behind clouds, and she could barely see anything as she sprinted, her semblance helping put her away from all of them.

How could Yang hide that from her? How could she not tell her? How could she tell Blake and Weiss before her, her own… half…sister. She heard a howl off in the distance as she rounded a corner. She gasped and ducked back around the corner, peeking her head around it.

There were two men standing in the street, both carrying rifles. Their faces were obscured by Grimm masks and they wore white jackets, she saw a snarling wolf head with three slash marks on the back of the one near her. One had long twisted horns, the other a thin tail. She pulled her scythe from its holster, the scope and stock popping into place.

"Damn beo's have been getting more active." The one facing away from her said. The one with horns shrugged and started to walk away.

"Once we're finished with patrol we don't gotta deal with em for the next few weeks." She watched them start to leave before slipping around the corner, sticking to the wall as she followed after them.

They walked slowly, cautiously, as they made their way to a collapsed building. She ducked behind a pile of rubble, holding her breath and clutching the scythe to her chest as she heard a grinding noise, like metal over concrete, before the sound of them walking off. A moment passed before she heard the grinding sound again. She peeked up from the rubble to see that the two men had disappeared. She exhaled; at least she found out what was causing the Grimm surge here.

She rested her head on the rubble, setting her scythe aside. She couldn't go back to them so soon, not after running off like that. She grimaced; she could already hear Yang and Weiss and Oobleck scolding her for running off into the dark the way she did. She shrugged and closed her eyes; maybe a phone call would be enough. They would be so wrapped up in her finding out the White Fang was here that they would just drop it and not bring it up when they arrived.

With a sigh she stood up, pulling out her scroll and hitting the team icon. She rolled her eyes at the no bars sign on her scroll, of course she wouldn't have service. She walked forward and started to pace, trying to get a signal.

"Ruby!" She froze, and looked over at the voice to see Yang running towards her, tears in her eyes, Weiss, Blake, and Oobleck struggling to keep up with her. She saw her sisters eyes widen in fear, and Ruby screamed as something tackle her to the ground, slamming her into the concrete.

* * *

The ground beneath Ruby rumbled and cracks spider webbed through the concrete. Ruby was screaming, flailing and trying to get the wolf off of her back, as the wolf pinned her to the ground, clamping its jaws around her neck.

She screamed, her body feeling like it was on fire, her gauntlets springing into place.

"Yang, don't!" Oobleck shouted. She gasped as the ground beneath Ruby began to sink, the wolf lifted its head up with a confused whimper. Ruby broke free of the wolf's grasp, scrambling forward. The ground gave way beneath them, the wolf howling as it was plunged into the darkness and Ruby grunted as she grabbed onto the ledge.

Yang threw herself forward, locking eyes with Ruby, reaching out to her. Ruby reached out with her other hand; her eyes growing wide as the ledge gave way. Ruby screamed, her voice growing faint as she fell into the darkness.

Her arm hung in the open void of the hole, her hand open.

 _Ruby's dead._

 _No she isn't._

 _I wasn't fast enough._

 _She's okay, she always comes out okay._

 _I did this. This is my fault._

 _Shut up!_

Her eyes began to water, her body going numb, barely registering that someone was pulling her away from the ledge.

"Doctor Oobleck, what just happened! Why did the ground give way like that?" Weiss asked. She stared at the whole, at the darkness, Ruby's scream ringing in her ears.

"How could I have been so stupid!"

"Doctor, what's wrong?" Oobleck's words were spat out rapid fire.

"Mountain Glenn! It was an expansion of Vale, a decent sized community that wasn't able to supply many jobs aside from those employed by Merlot Industries. A subway was formed between Vale City and Mountain Glenn for people to commute to work. As Grimm attacks on Mountain Glenn began to increase the citizens began to utilize what Vale is known for to escape; it's large underground cave networks. The subway systems were expanded and a second city was built underground. Aside from Creeps, people did not have to worry about Grimm attacks on their way into the main part of the Kingdom."

"They made an underground community?"

"Indeed, and when Grimm began to overrun Mountain Glenn, the citizens who escaped that carnage locked themselves up in the caves and subway networks, some managing to escape to Vale. But an accident, an explosion of some kind, blew a hole in one of the caves and Grimm were able to attack the city, and Vale blocked off all entrances, dooming the citizens still trapped and creating the world's largest tomb."

Her mouth felt dry, her tongue sticking to the roof of her mouth as she spoke.

"Could…. Could Ruby still be alive?" she asked.

"It is most definitely possible. And it's also the most likely place we'll find whoever is causing the Grimm surge in this area."

She stood up, clenching her hands. Whatever was down there, Grimm, White Fang, Raiders, or something else, they weren't gonna be able to stop her; she was going to find her sister. She turned to them, her hair smoldering. She flashed them a smirk.

"Let's go get her."

* * *

She coughed as she opened her eyes; fiery orange stared back at her. She yelled and scrambled back from the wolf. Its orange eyes had glazed over and blood was pooling around its head. She sighed in relief and looked up; moonlight filtered down from the hole she must have fallen from.

She struggled to her feet, grabbing her side, hissing. Every part of her body ached and when she looked down at her torso she could see her aura crackling around her, crimson in color. Great, no aura. She looked away from her torso and blinked in surprise; a vast city full of crumbling skyscrapers stretched out in front of her, lights strung through the lower parts of city and dark figures moving through the streets.

There was a clang and the sound of heavy boots.

"Freeze!" She spun around; two White Fang members were standing across from her, rifles aimed at her. She stepped back, and flailed her arms as she felt her foot go into empty space. She re-found her footing, swallowing as the two of them came towards her. She reached for her scythe, her blood growing cold as she realized she had left it on the pile of ruble

One of the White Fang members lunged at her, grabbing onto her arm. She sneered and threw a punch at his chest, pain shooting up her arm. He laughed, and she saw stars explode in her vision when he slammed his fist into her nose. He dropped her, and she collapsed to the floor, her head swimming and something warm running down her lip. A pair of boots filled her version, growing larger.

"Torchwick's gonna wanna see her." The boot slammed into her face, and the world went black.

 **And that's it.**


	30. No Brakes

**Sorry for the delay with this one. Vol 5 is amazing so far and due to that announcement from CRWBY that RWBY will be 12 seasons, I'm gonna try and pump out chapters faster to get caught up (goal is 1 chapter a week). Hope you enjoy!**

She struggled to open her eyes, her body aching and sluggish. She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the light. Her aura had stopped crackling around her body, okay that's a good sign. She was being dragged by her arms by two White Fang members, so that wasn't a good sign. She craned her neck; mech's and White Fang members were moving cargo around. She could see mech's, and crates full of she didn't even know what being loaded onto a train.

They stopped and Ruby looked back. They were in front of the train, the side door wide open. Various White Fang members where working around the train.

"Torchwick!" The one on her right shouted.

"What is it, Perry?" a familiar voice shouted back.

"We found something you should check out," the one on her left said. She heard footsteps in the train and Roman Torchwick leaned out of the train car, a lit cigar hanging from his lips. He scowled, his eyes narrowing, as he looked at her. He hopped out of the train, swinging his cane.

"Now what do we have here?" He said. Ruby began to struggle, grunting, kicking her feet. Torchwick laughed and the two White Fang members jerked her to her feet painfully, turning her to face Torchwick.

He glowered at her, a smile creeping onto his face.

"Not so tough without your scythe, are you?" She scowled at him. He grinned, and struck his cane across her face. She cried out, eliciting laughter from the White Fang. Her face stung as Torchwick grabbed her cheeks, forcing her to look at him. "So tell me, Red, what are you doing here?" Her nose wrinkled up, her lip quivering, as she shook her head. Torchwick chuckled. "Ohhh thank you, Red, I had been having a bad day. I really needed this." He struck her across the face again, eliciting another cry and more laughter. "Want to tell me now?" he asked.

She spat on his face.

"You little-!" He slammed the cane into her gut, causing her to double over in pain, grunting. The cane struck her back, she grit her teeth as she took the hit. She felt the cane rest underneath her chin, lifting her head back up. "Let me make something perfectly clear," he sneered. "We aren't going to be done until you tell me what I want to know."

There was a boom, and the ground shook, static began hissing from a radio.

"We're under attack! I repeat, we are und-" the voice yelled in pain, an animalistic scream coming from the radio.

Torchwick frowned, and motioned with his head for the two White Fang holding her to let her go. She fell to her knees, clutching her stomach, and felt him step on her back.

"You lot, go check that out. The last thing we need is Grimm getting down here."

There was another boom, the sound thunderous, the ground shaking even more. Ruby craned her neck over and could see White Fang members running, and screaming, some blindly firing behind them with their assault rifles. She felt Roman get off of her.

"What the fu-" Torchwick stopped, and Ruby smiled.

Yang was sprinting towards the fleeing White Fang, her hair ablaze, her eyes red, a snarl on her lips. Weiss, Blake, and Oobleck were following after her, their weapons drawn.

Ruby sprang to her feet, and dashed forward, her semblance helping her put some distance between her and them.

"Someone kill her!" Torchwick shouted. Gunfire started to rain down around her, throwing up dust as the bullets hit the dirt around her. She coughed, and kept sprinting towards her team. There was a boom, heat rushing up her back, and she screamed as she was thrown forward, landing hard on the dirt.

* * *

He grinned as he watched that little annoying red brat lay in the dirt, a crater from the grenade he fired smoldering behind her. If that hadn't killed her, she and the others would at least be out of his hair for a little bit. He turned to the Faunus next to him.

"Attach the car, and tell the others; the attack is happening now." The Faunus cocked his head to the side.

"Adam said the attack wasn't until Nov-" The Faunus gagged when he grabbed him by the throat, lifting him off the ground and slamming him against the train.

"If we don't do this now, this entire operation is a bust; just do as I say you stupid animal!" The Faunus nodded weakly and Torchwick released him.

* * *

She groaned weakly, struggling to get up. She looked up, her vision blurry and her ears ringing. Her eyes widened, fear shooting through her as she stared up the barrel of a gun, the White Fang holding it sneering down at her. Her lip quivered; she wouldn't be fast enough. There was an animalistic scream and the White Fang member was tackled to the ground. Ruby scrambled to her feet, backing away as Yang yanked the rifle out of his hands, and slammed the butt of it into his mask, shattering it. She pounded the rifle butt into his face, until his aura broke, blood running down his chin.

"Stay down," she growled. He nodded weakly. The fire in her hair died, and when Yang turned to her, her eyes were amethyst, and she smiled as she got up. She walked over to Ruby and offered her hand, which Ruby took. Yang pulled her up and into a hug, resting her head on top of Ruby's. "I am so, so fucking sorry, Ruby." She said. Ruby closed her eyes and hugged her sister back.

"It's fine, Yang." Yang tightened her grip.

"It isn't, Ruby. I shouldn't have kept that from you for so long. I should have told you first." Ruby squirmed out of the hug, Weiss, Blake, and Oobleck arriving.

"Yang, we can talk about that later. Right now, we have to stop the White Fang." Blake handed her her scythe, and Ruby popped the scope and stock into place. "They have mech's and who knows what else on that train." Oobleck cocked his head.

"The ends of the tracks are sealed, why would they-" There was a screech and static as an intercom came on.

"Get to your places, we're heading out, ahead of schedule!" Oobleck's eyes widened, his glasses sliding down his nose, as the train came to life behind them, its wheels grinding against the rail.

"Oh dear," he said.

"What are we supposed to do?" Weiss asked. Ruby turned towards the train, her scythe springing into place. She smirked.

"We're stopping that train."

* * *

The door behind him slid open, and Torchwick glanced back, the Faunus in the door way was out of breath.

"They're on the train," he managed. Torchwick groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Then get them off the train, you moron! Have Cerise and Neo help you," he said. The Faunus nodded, and ran off, the door sliding shut behind him. Torchwick shook his head. He wasn't paid enough to deal with those kids.

* * *

The wind whipped around her as the train sped down the tracks. Weiss and Yang were struggling to pry open the hatch on top of the train car.

"We have to hurry, ladies, who knows what they have planned with this train." Weiss grunted, falling onto her rear as the hatch sprang open. Yang peered down the hatch, her face going pale.

"Uh, Doc, what's that?" She pointed down into the train car, and Blake looked down into it. Her eyes shot open; she would recognize that crude wiring job and purified Red Dust anywhere.

"That's a bomb!" She exclaimed. Weiss scrambled away from the latch, Yang jumping back with a curse. The bomb lit up, beginning to make a beeping noise.

"Alright, time to go!" Oobleck said. Weiss, Yang, and Ruby ran ahead, leaping onto the other car. "Blake, detach the car!"

"On it!" She said. Oobleck leapt onto the other car, and Blake leapt down, landing on the other car's coupling. She drew her sword, and raised her arm. The car broke away before her blade met it. She stared at it in confusion before shouting "It broke away before I could hit it!"

"What?" Oobleck shouted.

Blake was thrown against the train car, hitting her head against the metal, heat washing over her, both sets of ears ringing. She groaned, struggling to open her eyes. The train car had exploded, reduced to a flaming wreckage. Moonlight was filtering through a hole blown in the roof of the tunnel. A moment passed before Grimm started to pour in from the hole, sprinting after the train, a writhing, black and white wave. Blake gasped and climbed up the train car. Oobleck was staring at the Grimm, his mouth hanging open.

"They're going to lead them straight to the city!" he said.

"What are we going to do?" Yang asked. Oobleck turned towards her before throwing himself onto the floor of the train, gunfire raining down where he once was.

" _Likas ta_!" Blake heard a voice shout. _Kill them_ , in Ishvi. Blake grit her teeth, there were White Fang a few cars down, firing at them. Weiss frowned and swung her sword, creating an ice barrier on the next car between them and the White Fang. Blake stumbled as the car they were on detached itself from the rest of the train, a beeping coming from inside the car.

"Go!" Blake shouted, sprinting forward and leaping off the train and onto the next, ducking behind the ice wall Weiss had thrown up. Weiss, Ruby, Yang, and Oobleck ducked into cover next to her. Blake could hear the bullets hitting the ice, and the White Fang shouting in Ishvi for them to come out.

"This isn't good!" Yang said. A piece of the ice wall got shot off, the ice falling onto Blake's head. She drew her gun, and fired blindly over the ice wall, eliciting several screams.

"You three!" Oobleck pointed at Blake, Yang, and Weiss. "Get inside the train and stop it!" He pointed at Ruby and himself "We'll keep them busy up here!" Another piece of ice flew off, landing on Yang's leg.

"How the fuck are we supposed to do that?! They're shooting at us!" Oobleck ducked his head down as a bullet flew past.

"Any way possible!" Blake switched her gun to her sword, grimacing.

"Weiss, Yang, follow me!" She leapt over the ice wall, throwing a shadow clone in front of her.

"What the shit, Blake?!" Yang exclaimed. Weiss vaulted over the ice wall, throwing herself onto the train car, sparks flying from the bullets hitting near her. Yang vaulted over a second later, a grimace on her face.

Blake charged forward, her swords drawn, yelling. The closest White Fang member's backed away from her, fear on their masked faces, the rifles shaking in their hands as they fired at her, missing. She yelled, slashing her sword against the closest Faunus, her blade cutting through his aura and abdomen. He staggered back, his blood gushing out, before he fell off the train car. She pounced at the next closest one, stabbing through her mask, her body going limp around her blade. She whirled around, blood flicking off her blade, and slashed the throats of two White Fang open, ignoring their garbled voices as they collapsed, grasping at their throats.

She felt a chill run by her, and she saw a long wall of ice shoot up in front of her, dividing them from the White Fang. She looked back and saw Weiss stab through the rifle of a White Fang member, before retracting her blade and slamming the pommel against her face. She fell to the train car roof, groaning in pain. She saw Yang grab a rifle out of a White Fang member's hands, tossing it off the train, before kicking him in the groin and slamming her fists into his back when he doubled over in pain, punching him through the latch on the car's roof.

Blake cocked an eyebrow as she looked at Yang, who gave her a cheeky grin.

"Found our way in," she said.

* * *

Ruby climbed over the ice wall, running and jumping onto the next car. She gasped when the large ice wall shattered, one of the mech's she had fought month's back towering above her, the guns on its arms beginning to spin.

"We've got a problem!" She shouted at Oobleck. He nodded grimly, his weapon springing into place. He ran past her, facing down the mech. The mech aimed it's guns at him as he raised his flamethrower. White fire shot out, engulfing the mech. Ruby's eyes widened as cracks appeared in the glass of the cockpit. The mech slumped, and fell off the side of the train, crashing into the wall, and exploding.

* * *

They landed together, the inside of the train car dark and cramped. They stepped past the groaning White Fang member on the ground, Weiss fiddling with something in her pouch. She looked over at Weiss as she pulled out a magazine, the bullets inside multicolored. She gave Blake a smile and offered it to her as they walked.

"Take this, it'll help," she said. Blake nodded, and dropped the magazine in her glock. She popped the clip into place before re-sheathing her weapon.

They entered the next car, and Blake grabbed her sword; that small woman from the White Fang rally stood in the middle of the cart, an innocent smile on her face, her hands resting on her frilly pink umbrella. Yang stepped forward, her gauntlet's shifting into place.

"You two keep going, I'll take care of her." They glanced at Yang, before at each other, and nodding. They ran past the petite woman, who didn't even give them a second glance, and into the next car.

They kept running, occasionally glancing back at one another, as they made their way through several of the cars. They ran into a car, and panic shot through Blake at the all too familiar sound of a chainsaw being scraped against metal.

Cerise.

The giant of a Faunus was lumbering towards them, his chainsaw sword being lugged behind him.

"Keep going! I'll handle him!" Weiss shouted. Blake swallowed; she had seen Cerise in action, what that saw did to humans. She glanced back at Weiss, at her determined face, at her sword. Blake smiled, and nodded. She turned back to Cerise, scowling and drawing her sword. He chuckled, raising his saw, and standing his ground.

Weiss lunged at him, and he swung at her head. Blake parried the blow with her sheath, giving Weiss the chance to place a glyph beneath him and launch him into the air, and behind them. He landed with a grunt, his saw embedding itself in the floor, sparks flying everywhere. Weiss gave her a reassuring smile before turning to face Cerise. Blake gave her one last look before running through the door and into the next car.

"What's new pussycat?" Torchwick asked when she entered the car. He twirled his cane as the door slid close behind her. She snarled and fired at him; he ducked down fire springing from the wall where the bullet hit. She fired at his leg, a grunt of pain coming from him as stone spread around knee. She lunged at him, slashing at him with her blade. He blocked it with his cane, kicking her with his stone leg, hitting her in the gut. She grunted, and fired at him, hitting his shoulder, ice shooting down his arm. He grunted, trying to roll his shoulder. "Got some new toys, I see," he said.

She fired at him several times, and despite his stoned leg, he was able to leap out of the way, lightning, fire, stone, and ice hitting the walls and spreading up them where the bullets hit. He lunged at her, swinging his cane at her face. She blocked with her sheath and stabbed at his belly. He hissed in pain as her blade hit him. He swung at her again, feinting, and striking her knee. She fell to the floor, and fired at him, missing two shots, and hitting him with the third. He yelled as the White Dust round threw him back, slamming him into the wall, the stone and ice on him shattering. He got up, glowering at her.

She charged at him with a yell, swinging her sword, catching his cane. They swung at each other, parrying each other's blows, Blake several more shots, Torchwick dodging them. Blake swung her sheath, hitting his head, knocking off his hat, and punched him with the barrel of her gun, firing at the same time. Torchwick screamed, getting launched into the air, slamming against the roof, before hitting the floor, his aura breaking. He coughed, and tried to scramble back as Blake strode toward him, stepping on his chest, aiming her gun at his face. He smiled at her.

"Why are you fighting us, Blake? We're on the same side." Blake sneered.

"I am not on your side," she spat. He laughed.

"We're both murderers, Blake. I know all about what you and Adam did while you were in the White Fang." Her blood boiled at the mention of his name. She dug her heel into his chest, getting a yelp of pain from him. He shook his head. "Do you really think you can get away from the White Fang? You were born into this group, Blake, it's where you need to be. You think a little black bow is gonna make you a new person? That those humans you call team mates will still care about you when they learn what you've done? All the people you've killed? Stopping me isn't going to stop them from hating you when they learn the truth."

She pulled the trigger.

* * *

She placed a shield glyph around herself as the Faunus rose up, yanking his chainsaw out of the floor. He glared at her before chuckling.

"Your head is gonna look good on my shelf." He charged at her with a yell, swinging his chainsaw, sparks flying as it crashed against her shield. She readied her sword, parring the saw when it came crashing through. She stabbed at his shoulder, making him step back, his saw trailing against the floor. He swung at her, she sidestepped, blocking the saw with her blade, sparks flying onto her. She grit her teeth as he yanked his saw back and swung at her again, his body turning with the momentum. She ducked beneath the blade, the roar of the chainsaw in her ears, and lunged at him, stabbing at his knees, at his arms, at his chest. He grunted with each hit. His free hand shot towards her and she leapt over him, stabbing at his shoulders while in the air, landing on her heels and spinning towards him and stabbing at his back.

He spun around, the saw spinning at her, she ducked, and spun on her heel to dodge the saw when he swung it at her again. He jabbed the saw at her, and she raised her blade, sparks flying as their blades met. She stumbled a bit as he jerked his saw back, and his foot shot out. Weiss leapt into the air, throwing a glyph into the air, as his foot slamming into a container and knocking it against the wall. She lunged from the glyph, stabbing into the floor as he leapt back. She stabbed at him, her blade hitting his chainsaw, and jabbed at his exposed stomach. He grunted in pain as he stumbled back, grabbing his stomach.

Weiss closed her eyes, summoning a time glyph beneath her. Energy began to course through her, every part of her reenergized. She opened her eyes, and moved towards him, her movements all but a blur. She threw two fingers forward, summoning several glyphs in the air around him. With a sneer she leapt onto the closest glyph, pouncing from it to the next, lunging at him. She leapt from each one, stabbing into him as she darted past him.

Her glyphs disappeared as she slammed into him, his aura breaking, launching them both into a container, her sword embedded in his abdomen. She yanked her blade out, blood dripping down the blade, and rested it at his throat. He glared up at her, grabbing at his wound.

"Surrender, I don't want to kill you," she said. He laughed, and grabbed her sword, yanking it out of her grasp. He head-butted her, pain shooting through her skull, before he grabbed her by the throat, a strangled gasp escaping her lips. He slammed her against the wall, her skull feeling like it was going to crack as it hit the metal.

"Welcome to the real world, Schnee," he said. He slammed her head against the wall, before slamming his fist into her face, stars appearing in her vision as his fist pounded into her face. His fingers tightened around her throat, the world growing black, as she gasped for air. He slammed her head against the wall and her aura shattered, crackling around in her in a light blue. He head-butted her again, and she felt blood start to run down her face. She could hear him laughing through the ringing in her ears, and she struggled to open her eyes. Fear shot through her when he grabbed his chainsaw from the floor, the blade revving up.

He raised the chainsaw into the air, aimed at her face. Her lip quivered as she stared at the blade. He jabbed the blade forward, and Weiss squeezed her eyes shut. The chainsaw roared in her ears, and she opened her eyes to see the chainsaw spinning in front of her face. He looked over at the door Blake had run through, and lowered the chainsaw, the saw sputtering off.

"No," he said quietly. He let go of her throat, and she slid down the wall, crumpling onto the floor. She weakly grabbed her sword, before groaning in pain when he grabbed her by her hair, lifting her into the air. He looked into her eyes as he said. "I'm going to make that traitor watch, as I tear you apart." He started to walk towards the door, dragging her across the floor by her hair.

Traitor….?

* * *

She glowered at the small woman as she stormed over towards her, that stupid smile on her face only making her angrier. She swung at her, and with a smile, she moved her head, her fist centimeters away from her. Yang snarled and started swing at her head; she dodged each blow, her smile only growing, Yang's fists just barely missing her each time. Yang moved forward, kicking and throwing punches, her hair igniting as the little bitch in front of her dodged each one, closing her eyes, and parrying her kicks with her umbrella, all but dancing around her punches. She lunged at her, and the woman's leg shot out, kicking her in the side and throwing her to the floor, knocking the wind out of her. She growled, gnashing her teeth, and looked up at the woman. She smiled at her and gave a wave, sticking her tongue out, the ends of her tongue forked. Yang sneered and the woman kicked at her, and Yang rolled out of the way, springing to her feet.

Yang threw herself at the woman, and she caught Yang's fist, twirling to the side and wrenching her arm backwards, and kicking Yang in the side of her head. Yang cried out in pain, jerking her arm free and spinning to face the woman. She yelped as she was kicked in the stomach, landing on the floor. She launched herself at the woman, firing a shot from her gauntlets. The woman grinned, her umbrella springing forward, taking the shotgun blast. Yang gasped as the umbrella folded up again and was smacked against her face. She punched at her with a yell, the woman dodged it, slamming her umbrella into Yang's side. Yang fired at the woman's feet with a yell, and the woman back flipped away, landing on her hands, and handspringing onto a cargo container, smirking at her.

Yang stormed towards her, punching at her. The woman kicked away her fist, spinning and slamming her foot into Yang's face. Yang staggered back, and threw up her fists as the woman attacked her, smacking her with her umbrella, dancing around Yang as she tried to hit her. The woman kicked at Yang, and Yang caught her foot, smirking and tossing her towards some cargo. The woman landed gracefully, putting her hand to her lips, and her body trembling like she was laughing. She stepped down from the container, smiling at Yang. Yang screamed, and charged at her, leaping into the air, her fist raised. The woman smirked her, eyes narrowing, and Yang saw a flash of silver.

She landed in front of the woman, her lips trembling, her fist aimed at the woman. The woman's smirked at her, her eyes predatory. Something warm ran down Yang's stomach, and backside, her body going numb. She stared at the woman, trying to keep it in, her lips quivering harder. She coughed, blood spurting onto the woman's face. Her forked tongue slipped out, licking the blood off her lips, smiling sweetly. The woman yanked her umbrella back, and Yang collapsed, her blood pooling around her. She stared up at the woman, coughing, the taste of metal in her mouth. The woman cocked her head to the side, smiled at her, and raised her blade.

The woman stabbed down, and a red blade shot into Yang's vision, blocking the umbrella's blade. She saw the woman's eyes widen in fear, and back away, turning and running. Yang craned her neck and her body went cold.

A woman in black and red armor with a Nevermore mask stood next to her, an odachi in hand. She gnashed her teeth, reaching out to her, crawling towards her.

"Mom?" She asked. She looked down at her, the red eyes behind the mask providing no comfort. She turned away from Yang, walking away, and swung her odachi, a black and maroon portal appearing in front of her. She stepped into it, and the portal disappeared.

Yang struggled to her feet, her breathing heavy, her vision growing dark, and she stumbled over to where her mother had vanished. She collapsed, gasping for air, and noticed a small green vial with a needle; an aura booster. Yang reached for it, smearing the glass with blood, and stabbed it into her stomach, pushing the medicine in. She yanked it out, and let it fall from her grip, as she lay on the floor, her blood pooling around her. She hissed in pain, as a soft yellow light enveloped her, and the stab wound started to stitch itself back together. With a grimace she sat up, resting a hand on her stomach, and using a piece of cargo to get to her feet. She gnashed her teeth and stumbled towards the door.

"This isn't over, Raven." She said.

* * *

Torchwick laughed as she pulled the trigger again, getting another _click_.

"I told you Blake, I may be a gambling man, but I never bet my own life." Blake sneered and kicked him in the face, his smug smile disappearing as he was knocked out cold. She reloaded her weapon, her ears perking up at the sound of the door opening. She turned towards the door, smiling.

"Weiss, I-" She froze, her blood turning to ice, her eyes widening. Cerise lumbered into the room, dragging Weiss by her ponytail; her face was beaten and bloodied. He hoisted her into the air, her head limp, and laughed.

"I wanted to give you the pleasure of watching the Schnee Heiress die, traitor."

Cerise raised his saw, the blade revving up. The ice in her veins died, replaced with a fire, her body burning, her lip curling into a snarl. She leapt at him, swinging her sword. Sparks rained down on her as her sword caught the saw. She growled as the sparks hit her face, staring into Cerise's hate filled eyes. He yanked the saw back, preparing to cleave her in two, and Blake stabbed into his chest with a scream, wrenching her arms up, the blade jutting out of his back. His body trembled, and Blake fired into his stomach, not stopping until she heard her weapon click.

The saw fell to the floor, the blade stopping and Cerise went limp on her blade, Weiss slipping from his grasp and falling to the floor with a thud. She pulled her blade out, stepping out of the way as he collapsed, blood pooling around him. She gingerly picked Weiss up, cradling her head in her arms. Blake's vision started to get fuzzy, her cheeks growing wet.

"Weiss?" she asked, her voice breaking. Weiss didn't stir, blood trickling down her face and onto her dress. No. No, no, no, no. Gods, please, no. Blake hiccupped. "Weiss, please. I…. I can't lose you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Weiss' eyes slowly opened, that ice blue never looking as beautiful as it did now. Her arm raised up slowly, and caressed Blake's cheek, wiping away a tear. Weiss smiled weakly.

"I guess I couldn't handle him," she said. Blake laughed, resting her hand on Weiss', smiling back at her.

* * *

She ducked underneath the remains of one of the mech's, gunfire raining down behind her. Oobleck popped up for a second, fire spewing forth, and screams carrying with the wind. The latch on the car's roof sprang open and Ruby fired at the entrance.

"Ruby, it's us!" Blake's voice came from inside the car. Ruby sighed in relief, before gasping as Weiss struggled onto the roof, blood covering her face, and she collapsed onto the roof. Torchwick's limp body was tossed onto the roof before Blake climbed up, going to Weiss' side. "Doctor! Weiss is hurt!" Blake shouted, he ducked back down, looking at them. He pulled off his backpack, and started to sort through it. Ruby saw a hand come out of the latch and she fired.

"Holy shit, Ruby! It's me!" Yang shouted, climbing onto the roof.

"You guys need to tell me it's you coming-" Ruby's eyes widened at the blood caking Yang's stomach, and staining her shorts. "Yang! What happened?" Yang looked down at her stomach, before shaking her head.

"Tell ya later," she said.

"Here, Blake!" Oobleck said, tossing Blake a green vial with a needle. Blake caught it, and injected it into Weiss' neck, pushing the medicine into it, tossing it aside when it was empty. A light blue light radiated around Weiss for a moment, the cuts on her face closing as the light faded. Weiss' eyes opened, and with a groan, she sat up. Blake hugged her, rubbing her face against Weiss' hair.

"Uh, guys," Yang said, her back turned to them and pointing ahead. Ruby looked where she was pointing, and saw that they were fast approaching a set of rubble.

"What do we do?" Blake asked. Ruby looked at Weiss, locking eyes with her. Weiss smirked, and broke out of Blake's hug, drawing her sword. She slammed her sword into the roof, ice shooting around them, forming a cocoon. For a moment there was nothing, and then Ruby was thrown against the ice as the train hit the wall. She was thrown against the roof, hitting her head on the ice, an explosion filling her ears as the cocoon shot up into the sky, shattering to pieces.

Ruby yelled, flailing her arms as she, Yang, Blake, Weiss, and Oobleck fell from the sky, hitting the concrete, hard. Ruby coughed, her body aching, the blare of an alarm filling her head. There was a smoldering hole behind them, parts of the train jutting out of the ground. Dawn's early light lay on the plaza they were in. Ruby struggled to her feet, glancing at her team mates, who were all struggling up as well.

People were staring at them, their mouths agape, some pulling out their scrolls. There was a screech, and people started to scream, a Nevermore swooping down and grabbing a person, raising him to its beak and biting his head off. Ruby could taste bile, and her body started to shake as the ground shook, and King Taijitu's broke out of the ground, hissing, and lunging at the screaming people. Beowolves, Ursa's, Deathstalker's, and Creeps began to pour out of the holes the snakes and parts of the train had made, swarming over the crowd of people, chasing after them as they tried to flee.

Creeps pounced on citizens, ripping their necks open, and Beowolves slashed open the bellies of citizens, lunging and tearing out their intestines with their jaws. Ursa's mauling people with their giant paws, Deathstalker's snapping people in two with their pinchers, their stingers impaling citizens, leaving gaping holes in their chests.

Ruby's hand shook as she drew her scythe, scowling.

 **And that's it! Just one chapter left of Vol 2.**


	31. Breach

**And here's the finale. I'm really looking forward to working on Vol3, it's (atm) my favorite volume. Hope you enjoy!  
**

He snorted as he was shaken awake. Pyrrha's worried face filled his vision when he opened his eyes. He groaned, covering his ears, as an ear splitting alarm hit him a moment later.

"Jaune, get dressed, it's the Grimm." She said, her voice steady. His eyes widened, and he all but leapt out of bed, dashing over to the closet. He stepped out a moment later, straightening his hoodie. Ren and Nora stood in the middle of the room, their faces solemn. He nodded at them and at Pyrrha before heading to the door.

Students hurried past him, shoving each other out of the way, talking on scrolls, barking out orders, as he led his team out of the dorm. The sun was rising, the world a pale orange. There was static, interrupting the alarm, and Ozpin's voice spoke over the school's intercom. Jaune came to a stop, the students around him stopping as well.

"Students, disregard the Grimm alarm. The city of Vale has enough local Hunters to defend itself." Jaune looked up at the tower where Ozpin's office resided, staring in disbelief. He turned to his team, a look of horror on Pyrrha's face, Ren's face blank but disgust in his eyes, and Nora angrily stared up at the tower.

"Guys," he said. They looked at him. "We're going into the city."

* * *

She threw open the doors of his office, storming into his office, slamming her hands down on his desk, glaring at him. He glared back at her.

"What do you think you are doing, Ozpin?" she demanded. His voice was even when he spoke.

"My job, Glynda."

"Our job is to protect the people! We're Hunter's, we need to-"

"Keep Amber and the Relic out of Salem's hands." She stared at him in disbelief.

"You're worried about those at a time like this?" He nodded.

"Salem's forces have attacked Beacon before, this is just a diversion to empty Beacon of its fighters so she can steal the Relic and remainder of Amber's power." Glynda shook her head in disbelief.

"People are dying, Ozpin!" He sighed, spinning his chair to face his window.

"I know, Glynda. But even more people will die if we allow them to fall into her hands." She stepped back from the desk, shaking her head. She turned on her heels and stormed off, slamming the doors shut behind her.

* * *

A cigarette dangled from her lips as she loaded her bandolier, the alarm blaringly loud in the small room. Ash fell from the cigarette as she took a drag from it, setting the bandolier aside and starting to fill her second belt.

"Have your shit ready, we leave in two." Coco ordered, flicking the cigarette butt away. She looked up from the bandoliers to see Yatsuhashi and Fox nod at her, Velvet looked at her, her ears drooping.

"Are you sure you're ready to go back out there?" Velvet asked. Coco stretched her leg, forcing a smile and glad her glasses hid her eyes as she teared up.

"Never better." Velvet shook her head.

"Not just your leg, Coco." Velvet looked down at the floor, as Yatsuhashi looked from Velvet to her. "Your drinking's been getting worse," she said. Coco frowned.

The Grimm as it butchered that poor boy in the forest during the Test.

Her leg as it was ripped open, those teeth burying themselves in her calf.

The burn of the whiskey as she chugged it from the bottle.

She shook her head, looking from Velvet to Yatsuhashi to Fox. She continued to frown.

"Just get ready, I know my limits." She said. Velvet's ears drooped, and she sighed, before giving a nod.

"Yes, ma'am," she said.

The door to the armory was thrown open and team JNPR burst in, freezing, their eyes going wide at seeing them. Coco turned to them, giving them a cocky grin.

"Didn't ya hear, Ozpin? We're supposed to stay here, and let the city fend for itself." Jaune scowled and shook his head.

"We're not letting that happen. We don't care if we get in trouble, we're not gonna sit by and let all those innocent people get hurt."

"Yeah!" Nora shouted, throwing a fist into the air. Ren nodded solemnly.

"It's our job to protect the innocent from Grimm, what kind of Hunters would we be if we didn't do something," Pyrrha said. Coco stood up, draping one of her bandoliers around her torso, wrapping the other around her hip.

"You guys fight any Grimm since initiation?" They shook their heads. "They're just as bad as you remember." She motioned with her head to the lockers. "Ya got two minutes. Be ready."

They were ready in one. They left the armory together, Coco grimacing as she kept pace with the others, trying not to limp.

"When we're out there, you four will listen to us, no ifs ands or buts about it, clear?"

"Crystal," Jaune said.

"Don't hesitate when fighting the Grimm, don't get sentimental to any civies nearby, just focusing on stopping the Grimm. Got it?" They glanced at one another before Pyrrha gave her a tentative nod. "Good."

They reached the air docks, a bullhead sitting unattended.

"You eight do know the penalty for stealing Beacon equipment, don't you?" A voice behind them asked. Coco froze, her eyes widening. Oh fuck, not her. She slowly turned around to see Glynda standing behind them, her arms crossed, an eyebrow raised. She gave her a sheepish grin.

"We weren't gonna steal it, Glynda, just borrow it." Glynda smiled, and walked past them, towards the bullhead.

"Either way, you all would be taking Beacon equipment without proper permission." She turned back towards them, smirking. "So let's make this an extra credit assignment for my class." She grabbed her riding crop, and flicked her wrist, a purple light enveloping the pod bay doors, opening them.

Coco grinned, and motioned for the others to get in. They loaded into the ship, and Coco gave Glynda a nod before boarding the airship, Glynda coming in after her and closing the latch.

* * *

She watched a bullhead fly off towards the city, and frowned, the Grimm attack alarm blaring in her ears. She turned to Mercury and Cinder.

"You don't think…?" Mercury nodded his head, not looking away from the city.

"Looks like it."

"The attack wasn't supposed to happen until the Vytal Festival, why is it happening now?" she asked. Cinder narrowed her eyes, annoyance flashing in them.

"So, what's the plan, Cinder?" Mercury asked.

"Let the Grimm have their fun, we can't blow our cover." She said. Mercury looked disappointed, a pout on his lips, and Emerald sighed. At least she wouldn't have to see any of that carnage up close.

* * *

Her hands were shaking as her scythe popped into place, her breathing unsteady. She swallowed; a Taijitu hissed as it lunged into a bakery, crashing through the window, screams and cries of pain coming from the building as the snake reared its head back, dragging a man out of the window, its fangs embedded in his legs. He screamed, clawing at the ground as he was raised in the air and the snake' second head bit onto his torso, jerking back, ripping him into two.

She swallowed the bile in her mouth, gripping her scythe tighter. She tried to keep her voice steady.

"Weiss," she said. Weiss glanced at her, her sword drawn. "Stay close to me, your aura's still really weak." Weiss opened her mouth to protest, but closed it and nodded. She looked over at Blake, who had her sword and sheath drawn, watching in horror as a Beowolf ripped a small girl's head off. "Blake," Blake glanced at her, her eyes darting at the various Grimm surrounding them. "Take care of Yang." Blake nodded. "Doctor Oobleck," He adjusted his glasses when he looked over at her, a white flame sputtering from his weapon. "You do you." He flashed a smile.

With her legs feeling like gelatin, she charged towards the closest group of Beowolves, yelling. They turned towards her and Weiss, ignoring the people fleeing from them. Ruby swung her scythe, slicing off the head of the closest wolf. Weiss lunged forward, stabbing a wolf through its mouth, and yanked her sword back, blood coating the blade.

"White Rose!" Ruby commanded. Weiss looked back at her and nodded, flicking her sword at Ruby, summoning a speed glyph. Energy coursed through her, and using her semblance to speed herself up even more, she launched herself at the wolves, slicing them apart; heads, arms, legs, blood, and entrails spurting into the air as she hacked through the crowd. She felt a chill, and saw a wall of spiked icicles shoot past her, impaling a multitude of wolves, their bodies squirming on the ice. She turned back and saw a wolf lunge at Weiss, its jaws' wide open, and its claws thrown forward. Weiss caught her eye, her own eyes widening, and she spun around, stabbing forward with a yell. The wolf let out a gurgled cry as Weiss's blade went through its throat.

"Fuck!" Yang screamed. Ruby and Weiss spun towards her voice, and Ruby's hands began to shake; Yang was standing in the beak of a Nevermore, well above them in the air, her arm's straining as she kept the beak open. Blake looked up from the wolf she had stabbed and looked back at them, panic in her amber eyes.

"Checkmate!" Ruby ordered. Blake nodded, and a glyph appeared in the air above Blake. She leapt onto it, and was launched into the air a second later, yelling, and her swords drawn. The Nevermore's body went rigid, smoke billowing from it, as Blake swung her swords as she shot by it, slicing its head off, its blood painting her black.

Yang tumbled from its mouth with a yell, flailing as she fell through the air. She grunted as she landed on a glyph, groaning in pain. Blake began to fall, silent in her descent, and landed without a word on the glyph Weiss placed in her path.

A thunderous hiss filled the air and Ruby spun around, her eyes widening, her scythe unsteady in her grip; the Taijitu stared at her and Weiss, it's dual heads caked in gore. The white one opened its mouth, blood and saliva drooling out, and began to gag a second later as a pink object shot down its throat. Ruby cocked her head to the side in confusion for a second before there was a boom, the snake's head exploding, blood shooting out, its body convulsing in pain, the black head screaming. She looked into the air to see a bullhead soaring above them, the side of the ship open, and Nora grinning as she took aim at the snake with her grenade launcher. She fired with a laugh, the pink grenade shooting down its throat.

Its head exploded, blood raining down as its body thrashed about, crushing the bakery, rubble, dust, and glass flying everywhere. Ruby smiled for a moment before her face drained of color, her blood going cold as a Nevermore attacked the ship.

* * *

She was thrown against Jaune as the ship rocked, the Nevermore's screech deafening.

"Jump!" Coco shouted, bracing herself against the side of the ship.

"But-!"

"Fucking do as I say!" Coco yelled. Pyrrha grit her teeth as the Nevermore's talons sunk into the roof. Nora leapt out of the side of the ship, Ren following after her a second later. Jaune glanced at her, terror in his eyes. She rested her hand on his shoulders, and gave him a reassuring smile. The ship lurched again, and he leapt out. Pyrrha took a breath a leapt down after him, drawing her spear and shield as she fell.

She landed on a Creep, stabbing into its head with her spear. She yanked her spear out and looked up to see Nora crushing wolves skulls wither her hammer, and Ren slashing into Creeps with the blades on his submachine guns. She gasped, and began to run; and Ursa stood before Jaune, its body covered in thick bone armor.

He took a step back, raising his shield up in front of him. The Ursa roared at him and stood up on its hind legs. Pyrrha switched her spear to its rifle form, and began to fire at the Ursa, her bullets indenting on the armor surrounding its face. It fell back onto all four, looking over at her and growling.

Jaune charged forward with a yell, jabbing his blade into the part of its neck that was exposed. His blade barely went into its neck before the Ursa roared in pain, jerking back, and yanking the sword from his grasp. Jaune fell, scrambling backwards as the Ursa turned to him.

Pyrrha sprinted faster, switching back to her spear, and lunged at the Ursa's neck when it stood up again. Blood dripped down her spear, and a gurgled growl escaped its lips, blood and drool running down its chin and into its fur. It turned towards her, its claws massive.

"Jaune!" she shouted. He looked at her, terrified, and she motioned with her head towards his sword. He nodded, the terror still in his eyes, and he jumped towards his sword, grabbing it and pulling it down. The blade cut through the Ursa's neck, slicing its neck open, blood gushing out. The Ursa slumped over, limp and smoking, and Pyrrha jerked her spear out. He was shaking and breathing hard as he pulled out his sword, the blade stained black. She clapped him on the shoulder, eliciting a startled yelp. "Just stick close to me," she said. He nodded vigorously, his eyes growing wide as he looked past her shoulder. She stabbed back, feeling her blade lodge itself into something, and heard the weak groan of a dying Boarbatusk. She yanked her spear out, and smiled at him reassuringly. "I'll protect you."

* * *

An alarm beeped in the ship as the Nevermore's beak broke through the roof, its screeches ringing in her ears. The ship shook, and she was thrown against the side of the ship, she could smell smoke. She frowned, smoke starting to fill the ship.

"Go, go, go!" She ordered, pointing at the open door. Yatsuhashi, and Fox leapt out without hesitation, Velvet gave a concerned look before leaping out. She stumbled to the cockpit; Glynda was fighting the controls, scowling. "Glynda, we gotta go!"

Glynda ignored her, grunting as the ship lurched again. Coco frowned, and left the cockpit, and leapt from the ship.

Crippling pain shot through her as she landed, and she collapsed, grabbing her leg, screaming in agony. The ground shook, and she strained her head to look back, panting, to see the bullhead crash into a building, fire consuming the building and ship, smoke billowing from it.

"Fuck," she whimpered. She glanced around her, trying to keep her panic at bay; Ruby was defending a kid under a car from a beo, Oobleck was burning a crowd of Boarbatusk's, Nora smashing the brains in of a Deathstalker. She could see Yatsuhashi struggling to keep an Ursa at bay with his claymore, Fox facing a pack of beowolves and slashing them to ribbons with his blades, dodging and deflecting their lunges. Velvet stood between an Alpha Beowolf and a mother and son, a sneer on her face. She hissed in pain as she tried to move.

 _You can do this. Fuck, you can do this, you're Coco Adel, bitch!_

She grit her teeth, biting her lip and tasting blood, as she forced herself to stand. With a pained breath she unslung her purse, and transformed it into a Gatling gun.

"Velvet, duck!" She yelled. Velvet ducked down low, covering the mother and son with her body. Coco pulled the trigger, cursing the few seconds it took for her gun to start going, and felt courage course through her as the bullets rained from her death machine. She grinned as the wolf was filled with holes, its body making an enjoyable _squish_ as it collapsed.

Velvet stood up, gave an appreciative nod, and proceeded to lead the mother and son to a nearby building, kicking a nearby Creep in the head and breaking its neck.

Coco turned, feeling tears well in her eyes. She smirked as she saw the Nevermore in the sky.

"Say goodnight, bitch," she said, taking aim. She opened fire, smiling as the bullets ripped the oversized bird to pieces, its body being reduced to mulch as it came crashing down in a shower of blood. She turned towards her teammates, limping forward, and firing at wolves as they went after an old man.

 _You can do this, you're Coco Adel. You can do this._

* * *

She opened her eyes with a groan, her vision fuzzy. She pushed herself up, the world spinning. She grabbed her head, it feeling like it was going to split apart, and staggered to her feet. Smoke filled her lungs and she coughed as she limped away, looking back to see the building she had woken up in front of was on fire, the remnants of the bullhead sticking out of the building.

She leaned against a building, her riding crop in hand, trying to catch her breath. Her breath caught in her throat; Ruby was fending off a Beowolf, unaware of the Ursa coming up behind her. Ruby sliced open the wolf with a yell, her eyes growing wide when she heard the Ursa roar. She staggered forward, scowling, _nothing_ was allowed to hurt one of her daughters. Ruby spun around, backing away and holding her scythe in front of her. The Ursa opened its mouth to roar, and gunfire filled its mouth, black blood spraying behind its head.

She came to a stop, Atlesian airships filled the skies, their mech's landing on the blood stained streets and opening fire on the Grimm. She looked around the plaza, the streets littered with corpses, blood, and the smoldering remains of dead Grimm. Huge pieces of rubble littered the street, several large holes in the plaza's ground.

Gritting her teeth she flicked her wrist, a purple light enveloping the rubble and debris. She groaned, sweat trickling down her face from the strain. With a grunt she plugged the holes, screams of pain coming from the Grimm trying to crawl out of them. She fell to her knees, gasping for air, and she saw her aura flickering around her; damn it, she'd used too much of her semblance.

"Professor?" She looked up, her vision blurred. Ruby was looking down at her, Grimm blood covering her face and clothes. "Professor, just stay there, and catch your breath. I'll take care of you." Glynda smiled at her, collapsing.

The roars of the Grimm filled the air, the gunshots from the mech's, and the grunts of her student's as they finished off the Grimm. She felt her aura stop crackling around her.

She opened her eyes; Ruby was nearby, holding her rifle. Glynda weakly got to her knees, and coughed, causing Ruby to look back at her and smile. Glynda's eyes widened and she forced herself to her feet, flicking her wrist. The Creep lunging at Ruby's head was surrounded by a purple light before it was flung against a wall, its head smashing against it and painting the wall with its brains. Ruby stared in shock at the Creep before looking back to her. Glynda offered a weak grin.

* * *

A sharp, jabbing pain in his side woke him up. He groaned in annoyance at the guns aimed at him by the Atlesian tin can army man. One of them grabbed him by the arm and jerked him to his feet. He scowled at them, and looked away. A crowd of people, bloodied and injured were staring at him, dumbstruck. He offered them a smile. The scowl returned as he saw those stupid kids watching him as he was forced onto an Atlas ship. He narrowed his eyes as he passed Red, who glared back at him.

They _really_ didn't pay him enough to deal with that kid.

* * *

She sat at the edge of the tarmac, her knees tucked up to her chin, her cape fluttering around her. The sun was setting, casting golden lights over the lake. Smoke rose from Vale City; Yeti's, Chione's, and Yuki-Onna's soaring through the air around the city. She watched the waves of the lake separating Beacon from Vale, at the aquatic Grimm that occasionally popped out of the water only to splash back down.

She squeezed her eyes shut, covering her ears with her hands, shaking her head gently.

The screams as all those innocent people were butchered

The blood staining the ground

The parts of the Grimm as they were torn apart by her blade

The cries of pain

The roars from the Grimm

The look in their eyes when she couldn't save them

She hiccupped, tears starting to run down her cheeks.

"Ruby?" She looked back, lowering her hands. Penny stood a distance from her, her hands interlocked, concern in her green eyes. Ruby smiled at her, feeling the tears drip down.

"Hi, Penny; what's up?" she asked. Penny walked over to her, playing with her hands.

"I told you that I would wait for you until you got back." She sat down next to Ruby, tucking her legs in, her arms wrapped around her legs. "Are you back, Ruby?" Ruby looked at Penny's face, at her green eyes, her pale skin, her freckles. Her lip quivered; the blood, the screams.

She forced a smile.

"Of course I'm back, Penny." Penny gave her a look, sighed, and rested her head on Ruby's shoulder.

"I worry about you a lot, Ruby." Ruby rested her head on top of Penny's, reaching out for Penny's hand. Penny unwrapped her arms and held Ruby's hand, rubbing her thumb over the back of Ruby's hand. "You're acting like the way you did when we went to go visit your mother." She nuzzled Ruby's head. "While you were away I did some research, and found that looks of distress and profuse sweating in one's sleep is a sign of recurring nightmares." Ruby's expression fell. "I am not a good liar, Ruby, but I can tell that you are lying to me." Ruby sighed, tightening her grip on Penny's hand.

"Penny, I…." she took a breath. "I'm not good at talking about my feelings." She closed her eyes. "All my life, I've wanted to be a hero, to fight the Grimm and help save people. But I never knew it would be like this." Tears started to fall. "All the blood I've seen, Penny, all the people I've seen killed; I never thought it would be like this." She shook her head. "And I'm a team leader, Penny, I can't afford to show any weakness in front of them; I've always gotta be happy go lucky Ruby, nothing ever gets to her, always ready with a pep talk to lift the team's spirits."

"Do you want to quit, Ruby? Do you not want to be a Huntress anymore?" Penny asked. Ruby shook her head.

"I'm not giving up, Penny. I'm going to be a Huntress; I'm going to make my mother proud. I just…. Wasn't expecting it to be this bad. With how bad things are these days, people need a hero. I can't afford to give up." Penny moved her head out from under Ruby's, and stared into her eyes. She smiled at Ruby, and Ruby smiled back.

Penny's eyes closed and she began to lean towards Ruby. Ruby's heart started to pound in her chest, her breath catching in her throat. She swallowed, her throat dry, and leaned forward, closing her eyes.

Her lips were soft, and tasted like cherries to Ruby. The kiss lasted for a moment before Penny broke away, and Ruby opened her eyes. Penny opened her eyes, adoration in them.

"Do you feel better now, Ruby?" she asked.

"A little bit," she said.

"I want you to know, Ruby, that I believe in you, and that when…. When things get bad for you, I will be around to help you handle it. You are not my leader, you do not have to be strong around me at all times." Ruby smiled, more tears running down.

"Thank you, Penny." Penny smiled at her, and did a salute. Ruby giggled.

They sat together, resting their heads on each other for a while, watching the lake and the sun set. Ruby blushed when a growl came from her belly. Penny broke away, and smiled at Ruby.

"You and the others must be hungry. I will try and get some food for you all." She stood up, and looked back towards the dorms. "I will meet you back at the dorm." She began to leave, before stopping, and turning back to her. "Oh, I almost forgot." The light caught her eyes as Ruby stared at her, Penny smiled, causing butterflies in Ruby's stomach. "I love you."

* * *

Blake and the others found Ruby sitting by herself at the end of the tarmac, staring over the lake, twilight falling on her. Yang sat down next to Ruby, Blake taking the spot next to her, and Weiss sitting on Ruby's other side. Blake let her legs dangle off the side as Yang pulled Ruby into a hug.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm…. I'm gonna be okay." Ruby looked from Yang to Weiss. "How about you two, what did Sorrell say?" Weiss held up her hand as she spoke.

"No fractures, or cracks, and no signs of a concussion. I should be okay." She said. Yang pointed at the pinkish brown scar on her belly, grinning.

"My aura took care of this before anything serious happened, I'm good to go." Yang patted Ruby's shoulder while she hugged her. "Ruby, about the other night, with Raven…" Ruby frowned, and looked away. "I want you to know that we are still sisters, it doesn't matter that we have different moms."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Yang hesitated, her expression falling, before she sighed.

"Sorta the same reason why I never told you about the fight clubs. When mom died, I had to take over raising you, and… I didn't want you to worry about me, or worrying about the family. I wanted you to live a semi normal life; not having to worry about your sister, not worrying about a dad too depressed to function, not about how many fights you'll have to do in one night to pay the next set of bills, not worrying about a mom who abandoned you and left you wondering why you aren't good enough for anyone." Yang sniffed, lowering her head, her hair hiding her face. "I'm so sorry I never told you before, Ruby. I'm sorry I told Weiss and Blake before I told you. Can you forgive me?"

Ruby threw her arms around Yang, nuzzling her.

"Of course I do, Yang. I'm sorry for running off the way I did. What happened today… it's my fault. If I hadn't run off Vale would be okay."

"It's not your fault, Ruby. The White Fang and Torchwick were planning that attack for a while. If we hadn't been there it would have been a lot worse." Blake said.

"If you say so," Ruby mumbled, her voice muffled by Yang's hair. Weiss put a hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"At least we'll probably be getting extra credit for saving the city." She joked. Ruby snorted.

"We put Torchwick behind bars, and stopped the Vale White Fang. We should be proud of what we did today, Ruby."

"If anyone tries something like this again, we'll be able to stop them, Ruby." Weiss said. Ruby sighed, her face still buried in Yang's hair.

"With the White Fang here taken care of, we won't have to worry about anything like this happening during the Vytal Festival, Ruby." Yang said. Ruby chuckled, and Blake cocked her head to the side.

"About the Festival, you guys wouldn't be mad if I said I put our names in to compete in the Tournament, would you?" She said, lifting her head from Yang's hair. Yang grinned, pumping a fist.

"Sounds fun!" She said.

"I doubt we'll be selected, but after this, I doubt we would lose," Weiss said.

Blake's blood ran cold; her face plastered over every tv screen on Remnant, her parents, her aunt, ever member of the White Fang seeing her, learning where she is. Blake shook her head, grasping her arms. Weiss gave her an odd look.

"You okay, Blake?" Blake shook her head.

"I don't want to compete." Yang and Ruby looked at her.

"Why not?"

"I don't want to be on tv." Yang frowned, and held up her hand.

"We don't even know if we're gonna be in it, why are you freaking out?"

"Blake…" It was Weiss. Blake's hand moved to her arm sleeve, her emblem feeling like it was burning. "Do you remember the promise we made? About not keeping secrets from each other?" Blake nodded, her emblem growing hotter. Weiss paused for a moment before she continued. "Back on the train, that Faunus I fought called you Traitor, and he didn't kill me because he wanted you to watch. And now you're saying you don't want to be seen on tv." Weiss paused again, looking into Blake's eyes. "Is there anything else you haven't told us?"

Blake swallowed, her eyes darting down, the waves and rocks staring back up at her. Nowhere to run. Torchwick's words repeated in her mind. She looked at their faces, at the confusion on Yang and Ruby's, Weiss' face a mask. She took a deep breath, lowering her arm sleeve as she spoke.

"I'm not who you all think I am. My name isn't Blake Belladonna." She closed her eyes, the cool air hitting her long hidden skin. She heard a sharp inhale from Weiss, Yang and Ruby gasping. She opened her eyes, looking at them. "My real name is Hōzuki Blake, daughter of Hōzuki Ghira, and niece of Sienna Khan, the former and current leaders of the White Fang."

Weiss' mouth hung open, shock in her eyes. Ruby covered her open mouth with her hand. Yang scowled.

"Why have you been fighting the White Fang if you're one of them?" Yang asked.

"I left it; I was on a mission with…. with Adam and the things he wanted to do, I just couldn't. I wanted to bring equality to my people, I didn't want to kill innocent people."

"Have… have you killed people, Blake?" Ruby asked quietly. Blake sighed, and nodded her head.

"How many?" Yang asked. Blake hung her head.

"More than I care to remember." She said.

"I thought you said you didn't kill innocent people?" Ruby asked.

"I didn't; I only killed people who were going to kill me or posed a threat to my people." Yang turned to Blake, still scowling.

"How long have you been with them?"

"I was practically born into it; my father didn't want me getting involved so young but he couldn't stop me from participating." Yang motioned with her head at the branding on her arm.

"Your dad give you that?" Blake scowled.

"No, my father would never hurt me." Yang snorted.

"No, but he'll let you kill people."

"Don't talk about my father like you know him! You don't know anything about the White Fang!"

"I know they've killed a ton of people, and just caused that!" Yang pointed over at the smoke billowing from Vale City. Blake narrowed her eyes.

"The White Fang hasn't always been like that. It wasn't when my father was in charge, it wasn't like that when I joined, and it's why I left." Ruby played with her hands, looking at Blake.

"What was it like when you were in it, Blake?" Blake sighed, turning and looking at the city.

"You have to understand a few things first, the White Fang was never meant to be a terrorist group. It was formed after the Faunus Rebellion by my great grandmother, Hōzuki Ai, and was meant to serve as a kind of race relations group between the Faunus and Humans, to relay to the Kingdom's governments any grievances the Faunus had with humans not following their nondiscriminatory laws, which they didn't. It stayed that way until Jacques Schnee took over the Schnee Dust Company, and he used the Company to oppress my people even more. Some started to fight back against the SDC, but they weren't united or had any kind of leadership, they just were all members of the White Fang. That's where my father comes in. He's the founder of the group as we know it today." She took a breath.

"My father… I haven't seen him in so long. But he hated the violence being used. He certainly didn't like the Schnee's or what they were doing to his people but he didn't agree with using force. So while my grandmother was running Menagerie as its Chief, he changed the White Fang into a protest group, and held boycotts and marches across Remnant against the Schnee Dust Company and other prejudice companies. My parents met during that time, and after I was born, my dad wanted me to stay home at Menagerie, he didn't want me experiencing the cruelty of humans so young. But I ignored him; I was at the front of every rally, at almost every protest, at the front of the crowd when the police would let loose dogs or get the hoses. I met Adam during that time, my parent's didn't know I was seeing him, he wanted me to keep it a secret from them."

"But my father's ways weren't getting the results my people wanted, and people started going back to attacks, against my father's wishes. About five years ago, after my grandmother died, he ultimately resigned, letting my aunt Sienna take over. She never believed in civil protests, and under her the boycotts were replaced with organized attacks. But she never went after innocents, she only attacked those who had it coming."

Blake's lip quivered, her eyes growing wet as she thought back to the devastated look on her father's face when they got home, at his normally cool demeanor dissipating and replaced with fury when she called him a coward, that he was a _slavosá_ to try and be civil to people who would sick dogs on a young girl like herself. At him yelling at her to get out, at her mother yelling at him to calm down. Her father calling out for her to come back when she ran, and the look on Adam's face and the feel of his arms when she went to him.

"I ran away from home then. I thought that what my aunt was doing was right, and that Adam would help her lead the way for my people's equality. When I got with Adam, I changed my name. I wasn't Hōzuki Blake anymore, I was just Belladonna; Adam didn't want my parents learning where I had run off to or my aunt recognizing my name in his reports." She pointed at the branding on her arm. "Adam gave this to me, it's his group that started that trend, along with wearing the Grimm masks; if humans want to see us as monsters, we'd become monsters." She snorted. "And you want to know what happened when we started to use force? The humans listened. It's still common to see stores that don't allow Faunus inside, but it's a lot less than it was before; the threats of having your building blown up or burned down certainly make you change your policies quickly. I thought we were becoming equals with the humans, I didn't realize until I was a bit older that they weren't changing those policies out of respect or desire to be our equals, they feared us, thought of us as dangerous animals who would kill them if we didn't get what we wanted. I didn't want a human to see me that way, and Adam was changing, he was getting more violent, and when we were together he would yell at me a lot, usually over nothing. I left during a mission where we were destroying cargo on a Schnee train, and he wanted to butcher the innocent people on the train. After he… after he hit me, I threw him onto the other car and severed it from the train. I was done with the White Fang, with him, I didn't want to be a part of a group that relied upon violence and fear to get a false sense of equality."

She squeezed her eyes shut, tears running down her face as the memories came back to her. Her eyes fluttered open when she felt Yang and Ruby hug her.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you. I… I didn't know about any of that stuff with the White Fang." Yang said.

"I'm sorry you had to deal with all that, Blake." Ruby said as she nuzzled Blake.

"I have a question though. How… how old is Adam?" Yang asked. Blake took a breath to steady herself.

"He's six years older than me." Yang and Ruby's grip tightened on her and she continued to cry.

"Did he… did he ever force you to…?" Blake nodded her head, closing her eyes, the memories of their first time together replaying in her mind; she was fourteen and never felt more like an adult then when they were together like that. She heard heels click against metal, and Blake opened her eyes and looked over to see Weiss stand up, tears running down her face, disbelief in her eyes. Her lip quivered as Weiss straightened her back, and turned, and started to walk away.

"Weiss?" Blake called out. Weiss kept walking away. Blake untangled herself from Ruby and Yang. "Weiss!" she called out again. "Weiss, please!" The Schnee crest stared back at her. " _Mattä_!" She cried. Weiss hesitated for a moment, before she continued forward, growing farther away. Blake tried to take a step forward, her legs giving way beneath her, and she fell. She watched Weiss leave through tear blurred vision, her body barely registering the hugs Yang and Ruby were giving her, her body shaking as she sobbed.

* * *

The Vale Councilwoman glared at him from the screen, a news broadcast of the relief efforts in Vale playing in the corner of the screen, Ironwood's solemn face in the other corner.

"You've left me with no choice, Ozpin. I've spoken to the other Kingdom's Councilors, and it has been decided that the Vytal Festival shall not occur unless we are absolutely certain about the security and the safety of our people."

"Councilwoman-"

"Enough!" She exclaimed, slamming her hands on the table, her video feed shaking. She glared at him, her eye twitched. "I have tried being reasonable with you in the past Ozpin, but your blatant disregard for the people of this city has tried my patience. I have spoken with the Vale Council, and the Faunus _will_ be put under curfew until the Festival is over, and we _will_ be receiving extra security from the Atlesian military. It was their troops who stopped the Grimm, not the three, THREE, Hunter in training teams that you had in Vale." She glowered at him. "When this Festival is over, the rest of the Council and I will be reviewing your status as Headmaster of Beacon. General Ironwood." Ironwood nodded as he spoke.

"Ma'am."

"The Vytal Festival is now under your supervision."

"Understood, ma'am." Ozpin took a sip from his coffee mug, watching the Councilwoman from the rim.

"Will that be all?" He asked when he lowered the mug. She scowled, her eyebrows knitted.

"For now, Ozpin." The call ended and her video feed went blank. Ironwood's face was grim as it took up his screen.

"I'll keep your people safe, Ozpin. You have my word." Ironwood's feed went blank, going back to its place in the corner. The news feed of the reconstruction in Vale filled his screen. He watched it for a moment before turning in his seat to stare out the green window of his office and at the Yeti dreadnought hovering in the air near Vale.

* * *

He sighed as the video call ended, turning his back to Beacon, and walked own the long corridor of his ship.

The two soldier's saluted him, standing at attention as he stopped in front of the holding cell. The door slid open, his prisoner sitting in shadows.

"Leave us," he ordered. They left, their bodies rigid as they marched off. Torchwick continued to stare at the floor. He crossed his arms. "I've been informed that so far, you have not been cooperative." Torchwick looked up at him, his makeup tarnished, and a smirk on his face.

"It may be a bit hard to believe, but I'm not a big fan of authority, or the law." He chuckled, looking around his tiny cell, his hands shackled to his seat. "And I have to say, for the world's strongest military, you're certainly giving the worst terrorist in Vale's history a really cushy cell." He made a tsk, tsk noise at him, feinting disapproval. "I'm unimpressed, General." Ironwood took a step forward, lowering his arms.

"You get one chance to tell me this." Torchwick cocked his head, smiling. "Who is really behind this, who are you working for?" Torchwick laughed, pointing at himself with his thumbs.

"Never underestimate the capabilities of a street rat like me. This was all my doing." Ironwood snorted.

"Very well." He began to walk away, the door closing.

"What's wrong, General, I thought you wanted to talk?" Torchwick shouted from his cell. Ironwood smiled as he walked.

"I have been given full authority by the Atlesian Council to do with you as I please for as long as you are detained. I have people who will get you to talk," He said. He heard Torchwick laugh.

"I like your style, General. But trust me, it's not gonna work." Ironwood chuckled.

"We'll see."

* * *

The sound of construction vehicles moving debris filled the air as they stood on the building's rooftop. He glared at them, his lip curled into a snarl, his hand resting on his sword. Cinder glared back at him, her expression cold.

"You told me that wasn't going to happen until the Vytal Festival. You wasted all of those lives for nothing!" He took a step towards them, popping his sword from its scabbard, the red blade shining in the light. Cinder took a step towards him, flames engulfing her hands.

"It wasn't supposed to happen, those stupid kid's made Roman panic." He sneered at her.

"Remind me why I'm working with you," he said. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Because, my dear Adam, we have the tools to give you the revolution you so desire. And I promise you, you _will_ have your revolution." They stared at each other before Adam sheathed his sword. The fires in Cinder's hands died; she smiled at him.

"Good boy," she said. Adam grunted, turning and walking away. She turned to them while Mercury watched Adam leave.

"What are we going to do for the Tournament, now?" Emerald asked. Mercury cocked his head to the side as Cinder giggled, looking over in the direction of Beacon Academy.

"Oh, I still have plans for Beacon, rest assured."

* * *

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Yang groaned, her eyes opening. The room was dark, moonlight filtering through the window. Weiss' bed was empty.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

She got out of bed, rubbing her eyes. A raven was at the window, its eyes a dark red. It tapped at the window again.

"The fuck you want, bird? It's late," She said, stifling a yawn. The bird jerked its head back, in the direction of the courtyard. It looked back at Yang and cawed. She cocked an eyebrow; this wasn't the weirdest thing she had woken up to. She shrugged and went to go get dressed.

The bird was waiting for her at the window sill when she stepped out of the closet. It tapped at the window and cawed, jerking its head back towards the courtyard. It looked at her one last time before flying off.

The courtyard was empty, the leaves on the trees starting to change from green to red, yellow, and orange. There was a chill in the air as she walked towards the statue of the Hero King, the statue casting long shadows from the lampposts. A murder of crows sat on the statue, their beady black eyes staring at her she as she came closer. The largest bird, staring at her with red eyes, cawed loudly, flying behind the statue. The murder dispersed, cawing and squawking. There was silence. Yang's brow furrowed when she heard a jingling behind the statue. A tall figure dressed in black and red armor slowly stepped out from behind the statue, a bone white Nevermore mask covering her face, red eyes peering from the eye slots, her hand resting on the odachi on her hip, her mane of black and gray hair pulled back into a messy ponytail.

Her blood ran cold, her knees growing weak. It was her. Her lips curled into a snarl, clenching her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

Raven stopped in front of her, staring, unblinking.

"Hello Yang," she said, her low voice muffled by the mask.

"Take that mask off you coward," Yang spat. There was a pause before Raven chuckled, the sound unfriendly. She reached up and grabbed a hold of the beak of her mask, lowering it. Her eyes burned red, glowing slightly. Crow's feet raked at the corners of her eyes, and her thin lips were stuck in a frown.

"It seems we have a lot to talk about."

 **And that's it, the end of Vol2!**


	32. Round One

**Sorry that this one is a little late, but it's still one week later, so I kept my word ^^;**  
 **I am so excited to be working on my favorite volume (thus far). I hope you all enjoy!**

There was a slight chill in the air as the winds blew, the yellow orange leaves dancing with the breeze. The sun was rising, casting its golden lights onto the cliffside. Ruby's cloak fluttered about her, the dying grass swaying against her boots as she stood before the grave. She smiled at the grave sadly, and lowered her hood.

"Hey, mom," she said. "I'm sorry I didn't come over sooner like I said I would. I…" Her shoulders sagged. "I've been through a lot lately." She smiled. "I brought Dad with me this time. He's doing okay, he's been teaching at Signal for a while now. He told me that he took up an offer for a mission, and that'll he'll be leaving soon to go do it." The smile wavered. "I think he misses going out on adventures with you," she said. Her voice broke as she spoke. "I miss you too, mom."

Her cloak rustled around her as the wind gently blew around her.

"I haven't gotten kicked out of Beacon yet, so that's good." She said with a forced laugh. "I'm glad I'm on a team with Yang, it's comforting having her around to help me." She smiled at the grave. "She's so strong mom, and not just from all the stuff she learned from dad." She sighed. "Weiss and Blake have really warmed up to us, but… things have gotten pretty strained between those two. Blake, she… turned out not to be who we thought she was, and Weiss took it pretty hard."

"Did you have problems like this when you were a team leader?" she asked. Her voice was uneven as she spoke. "Did…did you have problems with Raven? Were…did…did you love Dad before Raven left?" The wind blew around her, and she wiped at her eyes as they started to water. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't ask you about that." She took a breath, trying to think of what else to talk about.

"We stopped some bad guys, and saved people from the Grimm recently." She smiled at the grave, rocking back and forth on her heels. "You know what they say mom; like mother, like daughter."

"Professor Ozpin got in a lot of trouble for what happened in Vale when we stopped those Grimm. He called me up to his office the next day and told me how glad I was there to help stop the Grimm." She shook her head. "I've been wondering why Ozpin let me in early, and what would have happened if I hadn't been there." She shrugged. "I think he'll tell me when the time is right."

A dog barked behind her, and Ruby looked back. She saw her father leaning against a tree, smiling, Zwei sitting next to him, his tongue handing out. Ruby smiled at them and looked back at the grave.

"Dad's back, mom. I gotta go now; it's the Vytal Festival and he's dropping me off before he goes off on his mission." She pulled her hood up, and smiled. "Wish me luck," she said. She turned around and started to walk towards her father before stopping and looking back. She smiled sadly. "It was good to talk, mom. I'll be back soon."

She turned away from the grave, jogging up to her father's side. She could hear bird's cawing as they flew off into the morning sky.

* * *

Weiss crossed her arms as they stood in the crowded arena. The Vytal emblem spun on the large screens around the arena. She pulled out her scroll, impatient; why did it take the Headmaster's so long to get here? She pulled up the live feed of the parade going on in Vale. She smiled as she watched it on her small screen, she loved seeing the artistry in the Mistralian segments. Though the Vacuon Blue Sand Fire Spitters were always so exciting to watch too; were they going to perform this year? She cocked an eyebrow as the parade was minimized, and the news anchors took up most of the screen.

"Despite the damages done to Vale last month, I would say that the Vytal Parade is going along swimmingly, Lisa." Cyril said. Lisa gave him a look before turning to the camera.

"The Vytal Parade is indeed going along well, Cyril. However, the Atlesian warships in the air and Atlas soldier's lining the streets have many of the citizens in Vale on edge. Along with various Faunus Right's groups protesting the Parade and Festival over the new Faunus curfew laws passed by the Vale Council, and the continued refusal to recognize Menagerie as a Kingdom." Cyril's fake smile wavered, and he laughed awkwardly.

"Yes, well… let's hope the Vale Hunters are able to keep the Grimm at bay with all this negativity." He laughed again. He looked at his watch, and looked back up at the camera. "And it would appear that it is time for the teams competing in the Vytal Tournament to be announced, let's go live with our cameras in the Amity Colosseum." The camera feed switched to a shot of the crowd Weiss was in.

Weiss wrinkled her nose, and collapsed her scroll, putting it away and crossing her arms. They had stopped the White Fang, that curfew was not needed.

"You okay, Weiss?" Ruby asked.

"Splendid, thank you for asking," she said sarcastically. Ruby's expression fell and Weiss sighed. "Yes, Ruby, I'm doing fine. Thank you for asking," she said, trying to sound sincere. Ruby's expression perked up and she gave Weiss a smile. The crowd began to grow quiet as the Academy Headmaster's took the center of the stage, the screens switching to the individual emblems of the four Kingdoms; the gear and spear of Atlas, the dual axes of Vale, the tri blades of Vacuo, and the burning wick of Mistral.

Ozpin looked over the crowd, and adjusted his glasses before speaking.

"Welcome, future Hunters of Remnant. You all have put your names forward to compete in the Vytal Festival, to bring honor to your Kingdoms, and schools. Today, we shall decide who shall compete." Ozpin looked over at Ironwood, who nodded at him. He stepped forward.

"To prevent any type of bias from us, the teams shall be decided at random by a computer; four teams from each school. Those that are chosen are not allowed to back out." Ironwood looked over at Lionheart, who cleared his throat, clearly nervous. Lionheart stepped forward.

"I assume most of you are familiar with the rules, but I shall go over them with you all before we begin. There shall be three rounds; teams, doubles, and singles. All teams shall compete, and those who win in the first round shall choose two of their team members to compete in the doubles round, and from there, a single champion to compete in the singles. From there the remaining competitors shall battle in hope of bringing glory to their Kingdom." He wiped at his brow, and looked over at the Shade Headmaster. They rolled their eyes and stepped forward, resting a hand on their hip.

"If any of you are caught using anything other than the dummy rounds we issue out for the fights, or if you try and use an Aura Cutter or an Aura Piercer, you will be disqualified. Do any permanent bodily harm to a fellow competitor and you will be disqualified. Got it?" They asked. Weiss nodded her head, and so did the people around her. The Shade Headmaster grinned. "All right, let's get this show on the road!" They spun on their feet, facing a large blue holographic screen that had popped up behind the Headmasters.

The Mistral emblem slowed to a stop, and a multitude of names began to flash by the screen, slowing down after a moment.

AMEE

ABRN

IECY

CMSN

The crowd applauded, and Lionheart smiled as his school's teams took the stage, flanking him. Weiss cocked an eyebrow when she saw Mercury and Emerald and their two other teammates smirk back at Lionheart when they walked onto the stage. She shook her head and looked back at the screen as the Vacuo emblem slowed to a stop and names began to flash on the screen.

NDGO

BRNZ

SMMR

SESN

Weiss clapped politely, feeling a tad nervous as the Atlas emblem came to a stop; they would be the hardest competition.

FNKI

CMPT

SNWY

SLVR

Weiss was taken back as a team with a rainbow haired cat Faunus took the side near Ironwood, standing at attention. She smiled a bit as Penny walked into the crowd surrounding Ironwood. The Vale emblem slowed to a stop, and Weiss felt anxiety start to eat at her gut as the names flashed on the screen.

JNPR

CFVY

CRDL

RWBY

From the corner of her eye she saw Yang's partner stiffen. She looked over at her and saw terror in her amber eyes, her hand's shaking a bit. Weiss opened her mouth before shutting it.

 _She lied to you. She's a killer._

She walked by Yang's partner stiffly, resisting the urge to glance at her, to give her a reassuring smile and set her nerves at ease.

 _You can't trust her._

Weiss stopped herself from shaking her head as she climbed the steps, hearing the applause as she walked towards the crowd around Ozpin, her teammates trailing her.

 _You need to hate her._

She faced the cameras, giving the smile and wave she had perfected during her time with her family.

 _She wants you dead, they all do. Forget about her._

Fireworks began to explode in the air above the arena; greens, blues, whites, and yellows.

"Let the Vytal Tournament, begin!" Ozpin exclaimed. Weiss' smile faltered.

 _But I love her._

* * *

Blake watched her opponent as they weaved in and out of the ice pillars around them, the announcer's voices droning in her ear.

"I must say Doctor, I'm surprised at how close this fight between RWBY and ABRN is," Port said.

"Agreed! Oh my, it looks like Reese is going in for the kill on poor Ms. Belladonna. Let's watch," Oobleck said.

Blake stood her ground, her swords drawn, as Reese rocketed towards her. Reese smirked, and spun her body, launching her hoverboard at her. Blake deflected it with her sword, sending the hoverboard careening off. Reese smirked at her, sliding on the ice and towards her board. Blake scowled and lunged at her.

Reese snatched her board off the ground and spun around, catching Blake's swords. Blake sneered and swung at her, Reese catching each of her hits with her board. Reese's leg shot out, hitting Blake in the gut, causing her to stagger back and grunt in pain. Reese leapt back, tossing her board beneath her and landing on it, smirking.

Blake steadied herself on the slick ice, and threw a shadow clone in front of her as Reese sped towards her. Blake swung her blades as Reese hit the clone, causing it to disappear in a black mist. Reese grunted as Blake's blades connected, knocking her off her board and hitting the ice, hard.

* * *

Yang yelled, slamming her fist into Arslan's stomach, jabbing an uppercut and hitting her jaw before she could react. Arslan stepped back, dodging a blow as Yang swung at her. Yang sneered and spun her body, throwing a roundhouse kick. Arslan ducked low, swiping her legs in an arc. Yang leapt over the kick, and landed, spinning on her heels and yelling as she threw a punch. Arslan caught her, scowling, and threw her own punch. Yang caught it, grunting as they grappled. Yang's hair ignited, and she saw a flicker of fear in Arslan's eyes as Yang crushed her hands and lifted her into the air, spinning and tossing her with a yell.

She yelped as something around her ankle threw her off her feet. She looked down and saw a thin, nearly invisible wire wrapped around her boot, she looked up in time to see Arslan rise to her feet, and yank her hand back, a thin shimmer in the air. Yang grunted as she was dragged across the magma encrusted floor, the heat excruciating. She felt a chill as the magma was replaced with ice, sliding to a stop in front of Arslan.

Arslan slammed her foot down, and Yang grabbed her foot, snarling. She tossed her off and rose to her feet, ripping off the wire around her foot. Arslan leapt back up, and threw a punch. Yang blocked it, grunting as Arslan's other fist slammed into her face.

Mist was thrown up and Yang heard gunfire. She kicked Arslan away and spun around; Nadir was aiming at her with his rifle. She sneered and raised her fists. There was a clap of thunder, and the pillar of ice behind Nadir broke, collapsing onto him, burying him in ice and snow. She glanced over to where the shot came from and saw Ruby laying on an icy hill, aiming down the scope of her sniper rifle. Her sister raised her head and with a smile, shouted

"Got your back, sis!"

* * *

Weiss spun around when she heard Ruby fire a round. Bolin had climbed the small incline Ruby was on, his staff poised to strike. Weiss raised two fingers, summoning two glyphs. She jumped into the one in front of her and was launched forward, kicking Bolin into the one behind him, launching him onto a rock.

Ruby stared back at her in shock before getting to her feet, changing her rifle to her scythe.

"Thanks, Weiss!"

"Any time."

Weiss ran towards Bolin as he struggled to his feet, using his staff to steady himself. She put a glyph in her path, using it to lunge at him, stabbing at him as she spring boarded off her glyphs.

"White rose!"

Weiss landed, staring Bolin down, her sword aimed at him. She swirled the fingers of her other hand, summoning a glyph behind her. Ruby yelled as she was launched off it and towards him, swinging her scythe. He threw up his staff, catching the blow. Ruby fired, the kickback sending her shooting back towards Weiss' side.

Bolin grinned at them before charging forward. Weiss swung her sword, icicles shooting out of the ground. He sidestepped them, running past Weiss, and towards Ruby. Weiss spun around, swinging her sword again, icicles raining from the sky and in his path. She heard him laugh as he moved around them, ducking under Ruby's scythe as she swung at him, her scythe embedding itself in one of her icicles. She saw Nadir struggling out of the snow and ice farther ahead, grabbing his rifle. Weiss scowled and ran after Bolin.

* * *

Blake leapt towards Reese as she lay on the ice. Reese's eyes widened and she lunged towards her board, collapsing it into two pistols. Blake threw a shadow clone in front of her as Reese fired, the clone dissipating into mist. Blake landed, starting to retreat as Reese fired at her. She switched her sword to her gun, and fired behind her as she ran through the maze of ice pillars. Bullets whizzed past her, shattering parts of the ice as they hit them. She ran into a small clearing at the end of the arena; she snarled and looked behind her. She left a clone and ducked behind a pillar as she heard the hum of Reese's hoverboard.

Blake peeked around the corner, and saw Reese attack the clone, her face twisting with confusion as the clone dissipated. Blake sprang from the ice pillar, kicking Reese in the back, throwing her off her board and out of the arena. She heard Reese groan from where she landed, and saw her aura crackling around her.

"And a painful defeat for Reese by Blake; knocked out of bounds and reaching critical levels with her aura." Oobleck announced. Blake smirked and stalked away, heading towards her team mates as they continued to fight.

* * *

Weiss ran after Bolin, watching Yang chase after Arslan while Nadir fired at her. She threw up a glyph in front of Bolin, smirking as he was thrown forward and crashed into Nadir. Weiss jabbed her sword into the ice, summoning a glyph.

Ice began to rise from the ground, encasing the two men in a sphere of ice. The sphere began to roll away, the two men screaming. They struggled against the ice, and Weiss dug her sword deeper into the ground, tightening the grip her ice sphere had on the men, crushing them.

She saw a blur of movement on her left before Arslan slid to a stop in front of the ice sphere. Weiss narrowed her eyes, glancing at the score board; just a little more pressure and those two would break. She gasped, and looked back over at Arslan when she heard a thunderous crack; the sphere had shattered, and she could see Arslan in a stance, ice on her fist. She sprang to her feet, yanking her sword out of the ground.

"Yang!"

* * *

Yang's head snapped over at the sound of Weiss' voice. Weiss swung her sword, a wall of ice springing forth.

"Bees Schnees!" Weiss shouted. Yang nodded, sprinting over to the wall of ice, firing shotgun blasts to zip forward as she slid on it. She saw Blake running alongside her on the ground, they locked eyes, and Blake hurled her weapon at Yang, a ribbon tied to it. Yang caught it, and Blake swung the ribbon, helping launch her off the ice.

An animalistic scream came from her lips as she soared through the air, her fist raised. She slammed into them, firing multiple shotgun blasts, the force of the blow sending them flying back, and colliding with the ground. She landed on her feet, her fists raised when she heard a buzzer. She looked over at the scoreboard, all four of Team ABRN was grayed out. She grinned.

"And that's the match! With a stunning triple aura knockout by Ms. Xiao Long!" Oobleck announced.

Yang's grin grew as the crowd erupted in applause, and she flashed the aerial camera's a set of finger guns before looking back at her team mates. Ruby was jumping up and down with joy, Weiss had sheathed her sword, politely smiling and waving at the cameras. Blake eyed the cameras darkly, but managed to give Yang a smile when they locked eyes. She turned back towards the cameras, smiling at them.

There's no way they could lose this tournament.

* * *

Weiss rolled her eyes, smirking, as Ruby groaned as they walked through the fair grounds.

"Is anyone else starving?" Ruby asked, dragging her feet.

"I've worked up an appetite." She heard Yang's partner say.

"I'm sure you'll find somewhere to eat," Weiss said. She couldn't look at her, she wouldn't be able to handle the hurt look in her amber eyes. Yang gave her a look, her eyes narrowed, before motioning with her hand for them to follow her.

"I know a good place for us _all_ to eat at." Ruby and Bla-Yang's partner, walked past her. Weiss huffed and took a step forward before freezing, her scroll ringing. Not that chime, not him. She pulled it out, her eyes widening.

Father.

The scroll shook in her hand before she scowled and closed her scroll.

"Hey Ruby!" A voice behind them called out. Weiss looked back and saw Emerald standing behind them, smirking, Ruby's crimson wallet in her hand. "Might be hard to eat without this," she said with a wink. Emerald giggled as Ruby began to frantically pat her dress down, pulling her pockets inside out. Emerald extended the wallet, and Ruby took it, nodding her head as she said.

"Thanks, Emerald. You know how girl pockets are." Emerald laughed.

"Just the worst. But I'm glad I got to see you guys; I wanted to congratulate you on getting into the second round. You were all amazing in that fight!"

"Ah, thanks. Your team was awesome too." Ruby said. Ruby looked back at them. "Do you want to get lunch with us? To celebrate? We hardly ever see Eon and Autumn, it'd be nice to get caught up with them." Emerald shook her head, and motioned behind her. Mercury was at a booth selling shoes and was-Weiss gagged as he lifted a boot up to his nose and started sniffing it.

"That sounds great but uh, yeah, my team mates are kinda weird."

"To put it lightly," Yang said. Emerald smirked at that.

"Mercury and I were picked to move onto the doubles rounds. How about you guys? You decide yet?" Ruby nodded.

"I decided-" Weiss cleared her throat, and Ruby sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "I mean, as the team leader I decided it was best to put it to a vote."

"We voted on Weiss and Yang" Blak- Yang's partner said. Weiss did a mock curtsy as she said

"It will be my honor to represent this team." Yang smirked, punching a fist into her palm.

"We're gonna kick some ass!" Emerald chuckled, and started to walk away.

"If we end up in a match together, don't think we'll go easy on you." She said.

"Same to you," Yang said. They heard Emerald laugh and wave as she walked away.

"See you guys later!"

* * *

Her smile fell as she walked away from them. Mercury chuckled as he took her side, keeping pace.

"It's so nice to see you hanging out with your friends." Her nose wrinkled in disgust.

"I hate them. They're so freaking peppy all the time. How do they do it?"

"We've gotta follow orders, Em," he said, resting his arms behind his head. Emerald scowled.

"Doesn't make them any less annoying." She grumbled.

"Did you at least get what we wanted?" he asked.

"It's the rich bitch and the slut." He rested his hand on his chin, pretending to be deep in thought.

"Good to know who we're working with. I'll let Cinder and Neo know." She rolled her eyes.

* * *

Weiss took her seat on the stool of the 'restaurant' Yang had brought them to. It was a noodle stall, and her mouth watered as the smells of noodles, veggies, eggs, pork, fish, and various broths wafted by her. The old man running the stall looked at them, a small notebook and pen in hand.

"Miso for me," Yang said. The man nodded and looked at Ruby.

"I'll take the same." The man nodded and looked at Weiss. She bit her lip as she looked at the menu, Old Mistralian was so hard to pronounce.

"Shoe you?" The man cocked an eyebrow.

"Shōyu." Blake said.

"Thanks," Weiss mumbled, looking away from where Blake sat. The man looked over at Blak-that girl.

"Shio, extra fish, please." The man finished scribbling down their orders and went to the cash register, the total flashing on the screen. Weiss pulled out her wallet, and grabbed one of her several credit cards.

"Yo Weiss, you're paying?" Yang asked. Weiss nodded.

"Consider it as thanks for Ruby voting for me to go to the next round." Yang frowned as the man took her card. Weiss heard that girl next to her fidget in her seat.

"It wasn't just Ruby, Blake voted for you fir-" The man cleared his throat and they looked at him. He pointed at the screen angrily, CARD DECLINED, flashing in red.

"Declined? How is my card declined?" Weiss asked, taken back. The man set the card back down on the counter. She pulled out a different card, maybe Father had forgotten to pay that one off. The man took the card and swiped it. CARD DECLINED flashed on the screen in bright, angry red letters. "How is this happening? I barely use these!" Weiss said, drawing a third card.

"Maybe I could help?" A voice off to their side asked.

Jaune, Pyrrha, and Ren were walking over to them, Nora skipping, swinging her arms with her steps. Ruby threw her arms out, nearly hitting Weiss in the face.

"Pyrrha!" Ruby exclaimed.

"You don't have to do that, Pyrrha, we got this covered." Weiss heard a stomach growl, and B-the girl she lov-hated, said quietly.

"But she could." Pyrrha and the others laughed, and Pyrrha rested a hand on her lips as she said.

"After that fight, I think you all have more than earned a free meal."

"It cool if we join you?" Jaune asked. Yang nodded in approval and Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren took a seat in the stools across from them.

* * *

Nora patted her stomach contently, her empty bowl of ramen pushed away from her. Jaune was looking a little green, Ren had that little smile of his whenever he was happy, and Pyrrha was still finishing off the last of her noodles. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang all looked happy with the meal Pyrrha had paid for.

Ren rested his elbow on the counter as the old man came and collected their dishes.

"Are you sure it was wise to eat this much before a fight, Pyrrha?" he asked.

"Of course! Carbo loading is a time proven method!" Pyrrha said. Jaune groaned, resting his head on the counter.

"I'm gonna die if I fight this full," he complained. Nora smirked.

"If you do, I'm gonna use your body to beat the other team."

"Nora, don't be rude." Ren said.

"No, I'd probably do better in the fight if Nora did that." Jaune said, his voice muffled by his arms. Pyrrha rubbed his head, smiling.

"Don't worry Jaune, you'll do fine." He groaned, and held up a thumbs down. Ruby cocked her head.

"You guys think you're ready?" Nora nodded.

"Why wouldn't we be? We have the greatest fighter in Mistral's history, I can bench six of me, Ren's never lost a fight in his life, and uh…" she looked over at Jaune. Crap, what could Jaune do? "Jaune, can uh…yeah." Ren arched an eyebrow.

"Anything to say, Jaune?" Jaune shook his head. Nora made a dismissive gesture with her hand.

"He knows I'm just kidding. Love you, Jauney." She flashed him a smile, as he looked over at her, his face still rather green. "Don't worry so much, Jaune. The worst that could happen is we lose." She continued to smile. "And if we lose, we'll be stuck knowing that we dishonored our school, and everyone will think we're failures. Everyone we know and love will leave us, and we'll have to fend for ourselves, and we'll have to leave the school out of shame, and we have no one to go back home to and we'll be stuck having to live on the streets; cold and hungry and-" She felt her body go slack; the memories fading, and her mood starting to improve. She noticed Ren's hand on her shoulder, a pink shimmer around his hand. She looked over at him. He smiled at her, before his hand slipped from her shoulder. She smiled back, exhaling. Ruby, Blake, Yang, and Weiss were staring at her in shock at her outburst; this must be their first time seeing one of them.

"You okay, Nora?" Ruby asked. Nora swung her arm cheerily, grinning at them.

"Never better!"

"You're sure?" Yang asked. Nora nodded. She felt Pyrrha rest her arm on her back. Pyrrha rested her other hand on Jaune's head, stroking his hair.

"Stop fretting you two, we're going to do great. And besides, it's going to be refreshing to be in a fight with rules and regulations instead of dealing with monsters, and murderers."

Blake's eyes widened, her bow seeming to move on its own, her face growing pale. Weiss scowled, her ice like eyes darting towards Blake for a moment, before Weiss huffed and crossed her arms. Ruby laughed nervously, and Nora cocked an eyebrow as she glanced from Weiss to Blake.

"Yeah, we've fought a lot of crazy stuff haven't we?" Blake looked down at her lap, a faraway look in her eyes. "I can't even imagine what we're gonna experience once we all graduate and become certified Hunters." Weiss' nose wrinkled as her scowl deepened. Nora opened her mouth-

"Will Team JNPR please report to the Amity Colosseum for their match?" Port's booming voice came from the static filled speakers the restaurant had.

"Like they were scheduled to five minutes ago!" Oobleck's said, nearly unintelligible as the words came out in his usual fast paced manor. Pyrrha stood up, resting a hand on her hip.

"Looks like this is it, team. Let's go get 'em!" She said cheerily. Ruby waved at them, and Yang smiled at them as they stood up, Jaune nearly falling to the floor as he got out of his seat.

"Good luck!" Ruby said. Blake looked up from her lap, and gave them a nod. Weiss's scowl lessened and she sighed before saying.

"I'll try and find a way to treat you four after you win." Nora smirked; oh she just had to win the match now.

* * *

The colosseum was packed, people cheering as the two teams stood across from one another in the arena. Emerald climbed the steps, a large popcorn tub in hand, the buttery smell making her mouth water. She took her seat, Mercury sitting next to her. He stuffed his hand into the popcorn bowl, grabbing a fistful and stuffing it into his mouth. Emerald shot him a glare; how dare he touch her corn.

"I wonder who's gonna win," he said, butter running down his chin. Emerald rolled her eyes.

"We already know who's going to win you moron," she said.

"Oh come now, Emerald." Emerald looked behind her and saw Cinder take the seat behind her. Neo was already seated, a cotton candy bigger than her head in hand along with a giant soda. Cinder reached into the tub and took out a single un-popped kernel. Her orange eyes glowed for a moment before the kernel _popped_ , becoming a delicious piece of popcorn. She popped it into her mouth. "Even if you know how a story ends that doesn't make it any less entertaining to watch." She said.

Emerald shrugged, and moved the popcorn tub out of Mercury's reach as she got situated into her seat. Maybe that team of idiots would be entertaining at the very least.

* * *

Jaune drew his sword, his shield extending into place. The team across from him smirked, getting their own weapons ready. The screens around the arena came to life, rapidly spinning through a variety of different colored symbols.

"I'm looking forward to this fight, Doctor. This is going to be the first tournament fight Ms. Nikos has been in in several years. Let's hope the rest of JNPR are able to keep up with her." Port said, his voice thunderously loud as he served as the announcer.

"Agreed, Peter. I am looking forward to seeing how Team BRNZ will perform in this fight, they have an impressive track record back over in Shade." The cocky look on the opposing team's faces grew at the mention of their name.

There was a ping, and Jaune glanced over to see that the symbols had stopped; a green tree on one and a white lightning covered mountain on the other. The ground shook as the outer bands of the arena descended into the ground. A thick forest rose up on the side behind BRNZ, and Jaune looked behind him as a mountain rose up. Dark clouds materialized above the mountain, lighting coursing through the cloud, and thunder booming as rain started to pour down. Jaune grimaced, his shoulder's slumping. He turned back towards the other team, Port's voice echoing around him.

"Three! Two! One! Begin!"

Jaune charged forward, his shield raised.

 **And that's it! Fight scenes are some of my weakest points so I hope I did that fight justice.**


	33. New Challengers

**And here's the next chapter! I had issues figuring out what to do for the NDGO fight so I hope you like what I came up with. Also, V5 is amazing and omg this week's episode ;-;**

Pyrrha ran forward, watching the other team charge at them, noticing May run towards the forest. She threw up her shield as Brawnz threw his knee forward, his spiked poleyn crashing into her shield. She shoved forward, throwing him off balance, and smacked the staff of her spear against his head. He staggered back, grunting.

She saw a flash in the tree line, and heard a sniper round fire off. She looked back to see Ren duck out of the way as the rock behind him shattered from the sniper's fire.

"Retreat!" Jaune cried, running towards the rock's in front of the mountain, his shield thrown up as he ran. Pyrrha ran after him, throwing her shield up behind her as she ran. She felt a round hit her shield, sending a jolt up her arm. The rain hit her, chilling her as she ran into the mountain biome. Ren and Nora ran in front of them, vaulting over a large rock and ducking behind it. Pyrrha leapt over the rocks, landing in between Nora and Ren, resting her back against the slick rocks. Jaune vaulted over a second later.

"What's the plan?" Pyrrha asked. Jaune peeked over the cover, ducking down as a sniper round whizzed past. "We've gotta keep moving, we can' let her pin us down."

Jaune stood up, grunting as he blocked Brawnz's claws with his shield. Nolan and Roy leapt into their cover a moment later. Pyrrha grit her teeth as Roy spun at her, swinging his serrated blades at her, raking them across her shield. She pushed forward, jabbing at him with her spear. He sidestepped her thrust, and Pyrrha charged forward, trying to make some room for her team mates to clear the area.

* * *

Ren slid to a stop, skidding in the slick grass. A sniper's shot whizzed past his head as Nolan charged at him with his cattle prod. Ren dodge one of his blow's, grunting in pain when Nolan spun and hit him in the side of his head. Ren swung his leg, Nolan ducking low and slamming his cattle prod against his knee. Ren hissed in pain, as he fell to ground, the grass soaking into his clothes, the rain falling onto his face. He saw Nolan standing over him, smirking, blue electricity arcing from the ends of the cattle prod.

* * *

"Ren!" Nora shouted, running over to him. She swung her hammer at Nolan, and he stepped out of the way, jabbing towards her gut with his prod. The electricity coursed through her, her muscles feeling like they were on fire. She smirked at him, enjoying the terror in his eyes.

"My turn." she said devilishly. She swung her hammer, slamming it into his crotch and sending him soaring through the air and crashing into one of the many rocks, shattering it. He lay there groaning, his aura crackling around him. She heard a buzzing and looked over at the scoreboard to see Nolan's picture was grayed out, his aura at 0.

She heard a sniper shot and ducked behind the nearest rock, turning her hammer into a grenade launcher. She looked up and saw Ren staggering to his feet, limping towards cover. Pyrrha was busy fighting Brawn's and Jaune was trying his best against Roy. Jaune kicked Roy away from him and spun around, pointing at the mountain top with his sword.

"Nora! Lightning!" he shouted. Nora nodded.

"Got it!" She slung her launcher across her back and ran over to the mountain side, starting to climb.

* * *

Jaune whirled towards Ren and shouted

"Ren! Distract the sniper!" A boulder next to Ren shattered as a round pierced it. Ren stared at him blankly before calmly saying

"Sure. What could go wrong."

Jaune yelped as he felt Roy's fist collide with his exposed stomach, his saw's ripping a part of his hoodie. He swung at Roy with his sword, Roy blocking the blade with his saws. Jaune yanked his sword back and stepped back, raising his shield.

* * *

Pyrrha threw her shield at Roy, the edge smashing into the side of his head. He crumpled to the floor, clutching his head, and Pyrrha brought her shield back to her side using her semblance. She ran over to him, jabbing at him with her spear. He grunted, rolling out of the way of her stabs. He leapt to his feet, launching his saws from his wrists. Pyrrha deflected one with her spear, spinning around the other and slashing at him with her spear. He danced around her spear, catching his saws as they came back to him. He charged at her, and she spun past his clumsy charge, standing behind him. She kicked forward with a grunt, sending him to the ground.

Roy grunted in pain, and sneered at her as he stood up. He turned around and ran from her, throwing his saws at Jaune. She heard an 'eep' come from him as he raised his shield just in time to block them, the recoil causing his shield to smack him in the face.

Pyrrha scowled and ran after him.

* * *

Sniper fire rained around him as he sprinted towards May. He slid beneath Pyrrha as she leapt towards Roy, stabbing at him with her spear. He rose up from the slide, running and firing at Brawnz. Brawnz ran towards him, throwing a punch with his spiked gauntlet. Ren caught the blow with the blades on his guns, before slashing at him. Brawnz parried, catching the blades again. Ren scowled, struggling to wretch his blades free, and kicked at Brawnz's sides. Brawnz grunted in pain, and Ren yanked his blades back. He fired at Brawnz's stomach, emptying the magazines of both submachine guns in seconds. He could hear Brawn yell, and a buzzing when Brawnz's aura began to crackle around him. Brawnz fell to the grass, clutching his stomach, groaning in pain.

Ren looked up at the tree line, catching May's eye. She snorted at him and took aim behind him. He looked back to see Nora nearing the top of the mountain, the rain not hindering her progress as she hastily climbed the jagged rocky mountain side. Her back was exposed.

"Nora!" he shouted.

* * *

Pyrrha skid to a halt and looked back to see why Ren was yelling at Nora. She was completely exposed to the sniper.

"Pyrrha!" She looked over at Jaune, who was struggling against Roy. He jerked his head in Nora's direction. "Shield!" She nodded, sprinting towards him, sheathing her spear, holding her shield in front of her. With a grunt Jaune shoved Roy away, ducking to the ground, throwing his shield over his head. Pyrrha leapt onto it, feeling Jaune throw her into the air at the same time she leapt from it. She curled her body behind her shield, feeling the shot indent itself in her shield.

She felt the wind get knocked out of her as she was slammed into the side of the mountain, a scream escaping her lips as she tumbled down the mountain side, the rocks biting into her as she fell.

She hit the grass groaning in pain, coughing, the rain drenching her.

* * *

Nora was breathing heavy, her hands feeling raw, when she lifted herself onto the mountain's peak. She scrambled to her feet, and unslung her hammer. She could hear the thunder booming above her, deafening, and could feel the electricity in the air. She raised her hammer, and laughed as a bolt shot down, the ends of her hair springing up as the lightning coursed through her body.

She lowered her hammer, and smirked as she turned it into her grenade launcher. She took aim, and fired, launching several grenades at the forest across from her. The grenades exploded as they landed, the trees and grass catching fire, smoke billowing into the air as the fires spread. She saw May leap down from the trees, coughing and wheezing as she ran from the fires.

"Renora!" Jaune shouted, his voice barely audible from where she stood. She looked down at Ren, catching his eye, and he nodded at her. She smirked, and readied her hammer.

Nora jumped down, cackling, her hammer raised as she fell. Roy's eyes widened in terror as she slammed her hammer down, her hammer hitting his head and slamming him into the floor. She swung her hammer as Ren kicked May towards her, letting out a laugh as her hammer slammed into May's stomach, launching her away, and into a boulder, shattering it.

A buzzer sounded, Port and Oobleck's voices echoing around them.

"And that's the match! An explosive victory for Team JNPR!" Oobleck exclaimed.

"A most impressive display by some of my favorite students. Though I think someone should check on May and Roy." Port said.

Nora smiled at the cameras and ran over to Ren, embracing him and kissing him on the cheek. He smiled at her and they waved at the cameras.

* * *

He raised the glass to his lips, the ice cool and the whiskey burning. He lowered his empty drink and motioned for the bartender to refill it. He glanced at the tv tucked away in the corner of the bar. He snorted as he watched that blonde kid wave awkwardly at the cameras, Pyrrha Nikos standing at his side. It was nice to see one of her fights again, but that girl deserved better fighters on her team. The bartender set his drink on the counter, whiskey sloshing against the brim.

"Those kid's weren't half bad. I was wondering where Pyrrha Nikos had run off to after leaving the Mistral Regionals." The bartender said, cleaning a glass.

He grunted, and sipped from his drink.

* * *

Weiss sighed as she sorted through the various junk at the stall Ruby had dragged them to. She picked up a small silver handled mirror and looked into it, checking her make up. Her reflection scowled at her, her scar disappearing.

"We need to talk," her reflection said. Weiss frowned back, and glanced around; Yang, Ruby, and that girl were all busy looking at miscellaneous junk the vendor was selling.

"We can do that later," she whispered to the mirror. Her reflection shook her head.

"No, we need to talk about this now." Her reflection said. Weiss made a sound of displeasure before looking back at her reflection, and then sighing.

"Fine. But we can't talk here." Her reflection smirked and pointed behind Weiss.

"I know a place we can talk." Weiss' face drained of color when she looked back and at the building her reflection had pointed towards; a house of mirrors. Weiss swallowed, the mirror starting to shake in her hand. "I doubt anyone else will be there, it will just be you and me."

"Ma'am?" Weiss yelped and looked back. The stall owner was looking at her, his eyebrow arched as he watched her. He pointed at the mirror in her hand. "Are you going to buy that or not?" Weiss blinked and set the mirror back down, shaking her head.

"No thank you," she said. The stall owner's tail flicked with annoyance as he walked away. Weiss looked over at her team mates, and cleared her throat. They looked over at her, and Weiss struggled to keep from looking at the amber eyes gazing at her. She focused on amethyst and silver.

"I need to go take care of something; I'll be back in time for that photo shoot. If you see Jaune and them, tell them I'll treat them later." She said curtly before turning and leaving, rubbing her wrist to keep them from seeing her hands as they shook.

* * *

Yang watched Weiss walk away, narrowing her eyes. She looked back over at Blake, noticing the longing in the girl's yellow eyes. Yang chewed on her lip before asking

"Blake, you wanna go somewhere?" Blake looked at her, her bow twitching.

"Did you have somewhere in mind?" Yang shook her head.

"I just think it would be nice for us to hang out, just the two of us." Blake cocked her head to the side.

"O-okay?" Blake set the torn book in her hand back on the stall counter and Yang started to walk away from the stall, Blake walking at her side. "What's this about?" Blake asked as they walked. Yang sidestepped a couple carrying a large plush Grimm.

"Do you…. Is Weiss still your _mattä_?" She asked. Blake frowned.

"Yes." She said, her voice cold. Yang nodded.

"All right. Do you want me to talk to Weiss? You don't deserve to be ignored or treated like the way Weiss is treating you." Blake shook her head.

"I knew this would happen, Yang. I've made my mistakes and I'll deal with the consequences. "

"I don't like seeing you like this. It isn't right." Blake stopped, and started to rub her arm where her emblem was hidden. She lowered her head, not looking at Yang's face.

"Yang… I've done a lot of horrible things. I've killed a lot of people, most of them employee's in Weiss' company, or Schnee family friends. I can't expect Weiss to love me back after learning about what I've done. The best I can hope for is Weiss treating me like a team mate again," she said. Yang crossed her arms.

"Blake that is not healthy, at all. You need to talk to her. You've changed, you're not like that anymore; you can't let your past drag you down like this." Blake shook her head.

"If I don't hold myself responsible for my past, who will?"

"Weiss, the police, your family." Blake laughed softly, the laugh lacking mirth.

"I can't face her." Yang took a step towards Blake, and hesitated before embracing her. Blake went stiff before she returned the hug.

"You can Blake, you can do this. I believe in you." They stayed that way for a moment before Blake broke the hug.

"Thank you, Yang." She smiled. "I'm glad I have a friend like you." Yang smiled at her, feeling a bit lighter.

"No prob, Blake." She motioned behind her with her thumb. "I saw a Mistral dessert place over there, wanna go get some mochi and taiyaki?" Blake's smile grew and she nodded.

* * *

Ruby sheathed the knife and set it back down on the stall; that was some cheap looking steel.

"So what do you guys wanna-" She looked around, confused. "Guys?" She frowned, groaning in annoyance.

"Friends ditch you too?" A familiar voice asked. Ruby looked over to see Jaune walking over to her, his hands resting in his hoodie's pockets. Ruby laughed nervously, resting her hands behind her back and kicking at nothing.

"Maybe," she said. "Where did your team run off to?"

"Nora and Pyrrha wanted to watch SLVR and NDGO's fight, and I followed Ren to a tea stall. I don't like tea, and I figured he'd have more fun by himself."

* * *

Ren inhaled, savoring the scent of the tea leaves. Mint; his favorite. He turned around with a smile.

"Jaune, what do you think of-" His brow furrowed. "Jaune?"

* * *

"Any who, wanna go do something?" Jaune asked. Ruby considered it before nodding.

They left the stall, walking around aimlessly. The smells of various Remnant food stall wafted through the air; roasted meats, delectable sweets, and the delicious smell of heart clogging traditional fairground foods. Ruby glanced over at Jaune.

"Hey Jaune."

"Yeah?" Jaune looked over at her. Ruby offered him a smile.

"You did great in that fight. You've really been getting better." Jaune blushed, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"Not really. If it wasn't for Pyrrha I'd have been even worse in that fight."

"Ah come on, Jaune. You don't have to put yourself down like that. You did fine. And that team attack names was pretty cool."

"You think so?"

"Yeah! Do you have one for you and Pyrrha?" Jaune nodded.

"It's arkos. It's just our names put together like renora."

"Well I like it."

They stopped in front of a stall selling a variety of plush Grimm dolls. Ruby squealed with delight at the sight of them; she had left all her plushies back home at Patch; she didn't want to hear Yang tease her about still sleeping with them. She smiled at the shop keep as she looked at the various plushies. Jaune took the spot next to her, looking at the types of Grimm. He picked up a small Beowolf plush with an adorable pirate hat.

"My little sister had a plush like this back home." He said. Ruby cocked her head to the side.

"Which one?" He laughed.

"The one right after I was born; Aurélie. She loved listening to Dijon's Hunter stories whenever she visited." Ruby smiled, watching Jaune as a nostalgic look spread over his face.

"Do you miss them?" He nodded. "Have you talked to them at all lately?" His eyes flickered away from her, and he shook his head. "Why not?" He sighed, setting the wolf back on the stall.

"I didn't really tell my family I was coming to Beacon. I just got on a train after…" His face darkened. "Anyway, I don't think my sister's would like it if I called them out of the blue." Ruby cocked an eyebrow.

"Are you kidding? They must be worried sick about you!" Jaune rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah…"

"You need to call them Jaune, I'm sure they'll be happy to see their big brother again. I know I'd love it if Yang called me after not seeing her for a while." He shrugged.

"I'll think about it." He picked up a plush Caerbannog, a squeak coming from the rabbit when he squeezed it. He smiled and held it in front of Ruby. "You think Pyrrha would like this?"

* * *

Weiss rubbed her wrists as she stared at the entrance of the house of mirrors. There weren't any employee's around, only the gloomy entrance; the mirrors inside staring back at her. She took a shaky breath, and entered.

The mirrors lined the walls, suffocating her as she slowly walked by them, her hands unsteady and her head swiveling as she looked from mirror to mirror. It was quiet aside from the clicking of her heels. She reached a corner and the reflection in the mirror facing her scowled.

"You can't keep going like this." She said. Weiss turned the corner and started to walk away. Her reflection started to keep pace alongside the mirrors next to her. "You've been treating Blake like dirt since we found out she was with the White Fang. You need to actually talk to her about this." Weiss rounded on her reflection, heels clicking as she stopped.

"And why should I do that?" Her reflection smirked, glaring at her. Weiss felt her skin crawl as those ice blue eyes stared into her soul.

"You know exactly why. You love her. You want her." Her reflection's expression twisted; her mouth hanging open, and her eyes barely open as she started to moan. Weiss' cheeks grew hot and she turned and fled down the hallway, her reflections laughter filling her ears. "You can hide it from the world Weiss, but you can't hide from me!"

"I'm not hiding! She betrayed me! She's a murderer! She's responsible for how Father treated me!" She shouted as she ran. Her reflection's smirking face took up the mirrors as she ran past them, glaring at her, the voices echoing around her.

"Yes, Blake is the sole reason why someone like Father would beat you. She's the reason why he would ignore you. She's the reason why his form of love was keeping you locked up in that house and giving you credit cards to buy whatever you wanted instead of letting you live your life." Weiss rounded a corner.

"She's still a terrorist! She still want's me and my entire family dead!" Her reflection laughed, sending a chill down Weiss' spine.

"Clearly Blake is still a part of them; that's why she nearly worked herself to death trying to hunt them down. She hates you and your family so much that she let you touch her ears, she stood up for you against her own kind, she saved you from that Faunus with the chainsaw." Her reflection's smile turned devilish. "We both know we wouldn't stop Blake if she was left alone with Father."

Weiss covered her ears, running through the hallway, trying to block out her reflection's voice.

"She's not with them anymore!"

"You know she would never hurt you!"

"You need to talk to her!"

She ran forward, and gasped; the hallway ended in a room filled with mirrors. Everywhere she looked her reflection stared back at her. She spun around, tears starting to well in her eyes, her reflection smirking at her everywhere she looked.

"Answer me this Weiss; how are we going to go on for another three years without talking to one of our team mates? Or being so curt and rude to her? Do you really think we can manage it for that long?" Weiss staggered forward, clutching her head, her head starting to throb. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling tears running down her cheeks. She fell onto her knees in front of one of the mirrors, her reflections voice haunting as the voices echoed around her. "She gave us a second chance. You need to do the same for her."

"Leave me alone!" She screamed, punching the mirror in front of her. The voices stopped, the only sound her heavy breathing. She opened her eyes to see her fist embedded in the glass, blood running down. The mirror was shattered, cracks spider webbing through the glass. Her reflection scowled at her, narrowing its eyes. Weiss pulled her fist out, trembling, gasping in pain as the blood started to run down her arm and drip onto the floor. She looked up at her reflection. Her shattered reflection crossed her arms.

"Fine, have it your way." Her reflection flickered and Weiss was left looking at herself; the terrified look on her face, her eyes red, and her make up running. Her white jacket sleeve was starting to turn crimson. She swallowed as she stood up, the world quiet. She raised her blood soaked hand, shards of glass sticking out of her knuckles, and tried to flex it, hissing in pain. She grit her teeth and pulled out the several shards of glass embedded in her skin. She whimpered as the glass was pulled out, dark blood dripping out.

Her hand throbbed as she let the blood stained glass fall to the floor. A light blue flickered around her as her aura started to repair her hand, the ripped skin painfully knitting itself back together. She flexed her hand again; it was sore and still throbbing but she could use it now. She looked around the room, and noticed the exit. She glanced at the shattered, blood stained mirror, and sighed.

* * *

The bartender whistled as they watched the tv.

"And Team NDGO secures their spot in the Doubles Round. Team SLVR didn't stand a chance against those lovely ladies."

"Indeed they didn't, Peter." He chortled and sipped from his glass.

"Those girls were something else," the bartender said. He shook his head; such amateurs. The bartender frowned at him, lowering the cup he was cleaning. "What, they didn't impress you either? The only fight you've seemed to like is the one that girl in the red cape fought in." He took a sip.

"She's the only one fighting I care about watching," he said as he lowered the glass. The bartender rolled his eyes and went back to cleaning the glass.

He felt a vibration in his pants and pulled out his scroll; it was Ozpin. He hit the text message Ozpin had sent. It was one word; Meeting. He smirked, about damn time. He stood up from his seat, swaying where he stood; the world spinning. He drained his glass and set it on the counter before pulling out some lien and throwing it onto the counter.

"Happy Vytal Festival," he slurred, stumbling out of the bar.

* * *

Blake smiled at Ruby when she saw her come up, a large plush Geist slung around her shoulders.

"Thanks for wanting to do this guys. I realized we haven't taken a group photo before and figured this would be the best place to do it." Ruby looked around, peeking around Blake's shoulder. Her brow furrowed. "Is Weiss still not back?" Blake's ear twitched beneath her bow at the sound of someone running up to them. She turned around and her eyes widened.

Weiss was running over to them, one of her sleeves stained red. Yang shoved past Blake as she went over to Weiss.

"Weiss, what the shit! Are you okay?" Yang asked, grabbing Weiss' arm and looking at her sleeve. Weiss snatched her arm back, pulling the sleeve down over her wrist.

"I'm fine, I just had an accident with some ketchup." Yang looked at her in confusion. She cocked an eyebrow, pointing at Weiss' sleeve.

"That's ketchup?" Weiss nodded. Yang stared at her skeptically before crossing her arms. "You're positive?" Weiss nodded again, though Blake noticed Weiss hesitated for a brief moment before she nodded. Yang opened her mouth and closed it, looking over Weiss. Blake looked over and saw the photographer approaching them, his camera slung around his neck. He smiled at them as he came to a stop.

"Afternoon ladies, ready for your picture?" Weiss smiled at him, hiding her stained arm behind her.

"We are." She said.

"Great! Okay get together and I'll take the photo."

Blake crossed her arms, a tentative smile on her face as she stood next to Yang in front of the camera man. Weiss stood next to Yang and Ruby next to her.

"Everyone say 'Happy Vytal Festival'!" Yang threw up an arm, and Ruby raised a V sign as they all said

"Happy Vytal Festival!" The camera clicked several times and the cameraman smiled at them as he lowered the camera.

"Nice job ladies. I'll be sending you the prints later today. Good luck in your other matches!" Blake nodded, her smile falling as the cameraman went back to his booth. Yang gave a concerned look at Weiss' arm before asking

"So what do you guys wanna do now?" Blake's ears perked up, and she titled her head; an airship? She looked up into the sky and saw an Atlesian airship soaring over them, white and blue banners with the Atlas Specialist Corps emblem imprinted upon them. She looked down from the ship and over at Weiss.

Weiss' eyes had widened, a large smile on her face. She watched the airship for a moment before starting to run after it.

"She's here." Blake heard Weiss say as she ran off. Blake looked at Ruby and Yang in confusion before chasing after Weiss.

 **And that's it!**


	34. It's Brawl in the Family

And here's the next chapter. Rather short but I hope you enjoy it!

Ruby ran after Weiss, Blake and Yang trailing her.

"Weiss, what's going on? Who's _she?_ " Ruby called out. The Atlas airship Weiss had been running after landed on the edge of the tarmac, steam hissing out as the gangway on the ship started to lower.

"It's my older sister."

* * *

The gangway of her ship opened and she resisted the urge to smile. Her sister stood on the tarmac, her right arm resting behind her back. Her sister's team mates stood next to her. She marched down, her mech's marching alongside her.

The blonde was tall and muscular, her arms quiet large. Her nose was crooked and a scar ran from her lip to her nose. The girl smiled at her; she was missing teeth.

The smaller girl next to her had black hair with an uneven red dye job. Her eyes looked unnatural, a bright silver that seemed to glow a bit. Or perhaps it was just due to the light from the setting sun. Winter felt her skin crawl a little as she continued to look at the girls eyes, causing the girl to tilt her head to the side.

Th-

Belladonna.

She narrowed her eyes at the Faunus, noticing her bow twitch, and the flicker of fear in her yellow eyes. Weiss stepped in front of Belladonna, throwing out her arms, a genuine smile on her face.

"Winter! I'm so happy to see you!" Weiss said. Her sleeve was soaked crimson. Winter scowled, and Weiss' eyes widened, looking at her sleeve before tucking her arm back behind her back.

Winter motioned for the mech's to move on before glaring at Weiss' team mates.

"You three, leave us. I need to talk to my sister alone." Her team mates glanced at Weiss, then at her before backing away. They walked out of earshot but Winter could see them standing, waiting, not too far away. Winter looked back at Weiss. Weiss was biting her lip, her head lowered, her gaze on the floor. "Show me your arm." Winter said. Weiss hesitated.

"Winter, its nothi-"

"Show me. Your. Arm." Weiss sighed, not looking at her as she rolled up the blood soaked sleeve. Winter grabbed Weiss' wrist, turning her arm so her underarm was visible. Winter's heart dropped as she looked at her scars; the faded white lines crisscrossing her sister's arm. None of them looked fresh. She turned her sister's arm over, not noticing any on her forearm.

"Winter I told you, its-" Winter looked at her sister's hand, narrowing her eyes at the pink scars in-between her knuckles.

"What is that?" Weiss tried to jerk her hand free of her grasp.

"It's nothing, you don't have to worry about it."

"Weiss." Weiss finally looked at her, looking into her eyes. Winter released Weiss' wrist and Weiss let her arm fall to her side. "Tell me the truth." Weiss sighed, and crossed her arms.

"I got into a fight with Mirror, and I punched the mirror she was in. I wasn't trying to hurt myself this time."

"I thought I told you to get…" she struggled to figure out how to put it delicately. "Assistance, with ridding yourself of her." Weiss looked away, rubbing her wrist.

"You did. I'm sorry." Winter sighed, and brushed a hand against Weiss' face, lifting her bangs off of the scar trailing down the left side of her face.

"How has your eye been feeling? Are you still having vision problems?" Weiss shook her head.

"No, it's much better now. It's still a little fuzzy when things are too far away but other than that it's fine." Winter lowered her hand, resting it on Weiss' shoulder. Weiss looked up at her. Winter smiled.

"It's good to see you again Weiss." Weiss smiled at her, resting her own hand on top of Winter's.

"You too, Winter. Do you know how long you will be here?" Winter shook her head.

"I'm here to meet with General Ironwood and the Beacon Headmaster. How long I will be here, or why I am meeting them, is all classified information that I can't share." Weiss pouted a little. "But I am a bit early. You can take me to your quarters, and introduce me to your…" She looked past Weiss, glaring at Belladonna. She caught her gaze and shrunk back, trying to inconspicuously hide herself behind the tall blonde. Winter looked back at Weiss. "Your team mates."

"Oh, I just know that they'll love you. Follow me." Weiss said. Winter brought her hand back, resting it behind her back, and watched her sister turn and start leading the way, her team mates looking over at them.

* * *

He staggered through Beacon's courtyard, slumping against a mech, drinking from his flask.

"Hm?" A woman with short white hair in an Atlas military uniform was marching ahead of him, a small girl in a light blue and white dress walking alongside her. He smirked, pocketing his flask. "Ice queen!" he called out.

Winter froze, her body getting even more rigid, if that was humanly possible. She turned towards him, annoyed.

"And here I was hoping General Ironwood was mistaken in including your name." He left the mech's side, stumbling over to her, resting a hand on his hip as he stood in front of her. She scowled at him, her nose wrinkling, and took a step back. "You're drunk." She said, her words dripping with venom.

"Gotta be if I'm gonna be dealin' with that prick of a boss of yours."

"I would advise you to hold your tongue; you're speaking about the most powerful man in Atlas." He snorted.

"Oh no. I would hate to piss him off." Winter sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"What do you want, Qrow?"

"Wait. You know this drunkard?" Weiss asked, looking from Winter to him.

"Unfortunately." Winter said. Qrow noticed the crowd of people in the courtyard had stopped and were watching them. He noticed a tall man with gray hair run out of the crowd. He saw his nieces and a girl with black hair walk up behind Weiss. Yang shook her head in disapproval while Ruby beamed at him, a big smile on her face.

"I'm Ruby and Yang's Uncle Qrow, Weiss. I'm sure they've mentioned me at some point. I'm here 'cause I work for dear old Ozpin." He scowled and took a step forward. Winter stepped in front of Weiss and her friends, putting an arm in front of them defensively. "But your sister and Ironwood and all those other Atlas scum are making our jobs a helluva lot hard. Atlas ships in Vale's skies? Atlas troops on Vale soil?" He snorted. "A member of the Atlas Specialist Corps meeting with two Headmaster's in a secret meeting? How do you think all of this is going to look to the rest of the world, Winter?" She scowled at him.

"We were summoned here by Vale's council to ensure the safety of Vale's citizens during the Vytal Festival. We are not starting anything." She narrowed her eyes. "Or perhaps you were too busy getting drunk and stumbling into a gutter to know that, you pathetic lowlife." He laughed; that wasn't the worst thing he had been called by an angry woman.

"You're shit at insults." Winter rolled her eyes.

"If you're trying to provoke me into attacking you and disgracing my uniform, then you are wasting your breath." He cracked his knuckles, and gave her a grin.

"All right then."

* * *

She grabbed his wrist as he threw the punch; his form was sloppy. She grunted and flung him over her shoulder. He yelled as he was slammed to the ground. She stepped on his pit as she grabbed his arm, twisting it while she dug the heel of her boot into him.

"Get off me you white haired bitch!" She smirked, and dug her heel further.

"Captain Schnee!" Her eyes widened at the sound of his voice, and immediately released Qrow, stepping away from him and standing at attention. She saluted General Ironwood as he walked over to them; Glynda and Ozpin were following him.

"General Ironwood, sir!" Ironwood stopped in front of her, and looked at Qrow as he lay on the ground, coughing, holding onto his arm.

"At ease, Captain." She stood at ease. Qrow looked up at Ironwood and gave a weak wave.

"Hey, James." Ironwood sighed in disgust.

"I guess it was too much to hope you would take this seriously. You're drunk I assume?" Qrow held up his thumb and index finger, a small space between the two fingers.

"Just a lot."

"And you saw it fit to try and fight one of my officers?" Qrow shrugged.

"Seemed smart at the time." Ironwood glared at him before turning on his heels and marching away, shoving past Ozpin and Glynda.

"Oz, Glynda, I'll let you two take care of him. Captain, with me." She followed after the General, her back rigid.

* * *

Ruby rushed over to her uncle's side, helping him to his feet. She could smell the whiskey on him.

"I thought you said you were gonna stop drinking, Uncle Qrow?" Ruby asked, holding onto his arm. He looked at her, his face softening, his expression falling. He exhaled, and ruffled her hair.

"My bad, kiddo." She heard Yang come up behind her.

"And I thought Ruby was bad without her scythe." He snickered at that.

"Your dad never was that good of a teacher." Yang snorted.

"Qrow." Ruby looked over to see Ozpin watching them, Glynda dispersing the crowd that had gathered. "My office." He said. Qrow's shoulders went slack and he slipped his arm out of Ruby's grip.

"I think I'm in trouble," he said.

"I mean, you did try to start a fight in the middle of our courtyard." Ruby said. He shrugged, and gave them a grin. He held out his fist, and Ruby bumped it with her own. Yang cocked an eyebrow at his fist before bumping it with her own.

"Catch you kids later." He said, walking away.

Blake and Weiss walked up to them.

"That guy was your uncle?" Blake asked. Ruby nodded, smiling.

"Yep! He taught me everything I know about fighting." Blake blinked.

"Really?" Yang held out a hand as she said

"He's like Ruby; he can't fight without his scythe." Weiss crossed her arms.

"He had no right to attack my sister like that." Yang scratched the back of her head.

"It sounds like they're all involved in some 'super secrete we can't know about any of the shit they do', kind of stuff, sooo. Maybe she had it coming?" Ruby laughed as Weiss huffed and started to scold Yang on how ridiculous that idea was.

* * *

The elevator doors open and Ironwood and Winter glared at them as they stood in front of Ozpin's desk.

"What is wrong with you?" Winter asked, irritated. Qrow pulled out his flask, causing Winter to snarl in disgust. "Put that fucking thing away!" she yelled, breaking her bearing and stepping towards him. Qrow cocked an eyebrow, shrugged, and tucked his flask back in his pocket.

"Winter, you don't have to yell." Ozpin said, hobbling over to his chair. Winter glared at him, her gaze icy, before looking over at Glynda.

"You all know how I feel about alcoholics, and you decide to include _him_ , in a discussion like this?"

"He's the only one we have in her inner circle. We need him, Winter. Even if he is a drunken ass." Glynda said. Qrow crossed his arms.

"I'm standing right here you know," he said.

"We know, Qrow. We just don't care." Ironwood said. Qrow scowled, and stepped in front of Ironwood.

"After everything and everyone I've sacrificed for all of you, I would appreciate it if you treated me with the respect I fucking deserve." He pulled out his flask, noticing Winter flinch as he waved it around. "Yeah I drink, but if any of you saw half the shit I've seen you'd drink too. So don't act all high and mighty and like you can judge me when you're all busy sitting on your asses waiting on _my_ Intel."

"We all appreciate the hard work you do for us, Qrow. But that does not mean that you get an excuse to act like a child." Ozpin said. Qrow crossed his arms.

"Tch. Fine. Whatever." He eyed his flask, noticed the death glare from Winter, and pocketed it. "Speaking of _my_ intel, I've managed to find out what Salem has planned for Beacon." They all watched him, anxiety etching their faces. "She sent a member of her inner circle, Cinder Fall, to infiltrate Beacon and destroy its CCT. She's also the one responsible for Amber's current condition. She was assigned this mission several years ago, and hasn't been present for any of our little group table talks. Salem's playing her cards close to her chest but I managed to find that much out." Glynda's face darkened.

"That woman that attacked the CCT during the summer. That must have been her." She turned to Qrow. "What does she look like?"

"Last I saw her she had short black hair and orange eyes. Rather young looking too."

"Orange eyes…" Glynda crossed her arms, shaking her head. "She's the woman I fought the night Ruby was accepted to Beacon."

"What was she doing?" Qrow asked.

"She was piloting a bullhead for Roman Torchwick. Is he aware of Salem and the others?" Qrow shook his head.

"Probably not; too big for something like him. When Salem gives us assignments she leaves a lot of the 'how' up to us. Cinder probably has her own entire network by now." Ironwood rubbed his chin.

"If so, that would explain why the White Fang here has been behaving so strangely."

Qrow looked around the office, suddenly noticing something was missing.

"Where are the other two Headmasters? They need to hear this crap too." Ozpin took a sip from his coffee before answering.

"Leo has his heart condition and had to return to Mistral." He took another sip. "There was also apparently an urgent matter back at Shade Academy."

"Figures." Ironwood set his scroll onto Ozpin's desk, it flickered for a moment before a holographic projection of Vale City, the Amity Colosseum, and the various Atlas airships took up a part of the room.

"If your hunch about this Cinder Fall having her own network is correct, Qrow, my army will be more than enough to get rid of them." Qrow snorted, enjoying the sour look on Ironwood and Winter's faces.

"So typical James; all the subtlety of a rampaging Petra Gigas." Winter stepped forward.

"The Atlesian military will be more than enough to deal with whatever street thugs Cinder has working under her." She said.

"Oh yeah that's just brilliant, Atlas mechs fighting on the streets, gunning down people. Do you know what kind of panic that will cause? What that will bring to our doorsteps?"

"The Vale council brought us here, and we will do everything in our power t-"

"Screw the council!" Ironwood and Winter frowned at him. "They don't know what we know; if they knew about Salem and what we're really fighting they would be shitting themselves. Just because our politicians brought you in to make themselves feel better doesn't mean the people here want your 'help'."

"We're the strongest military in the world, Qrow. We are more than enough for whatever Salem throws at us." Winter said. Qrow snorted, and began to laugh, clutching his sides.

"You two are so fucking delusional. If-if you really think _anything_ that you have can stand up to what I've seen her create, then you two are worse off than I am." Ironwood sighed and picked up his scroll off the desk, the hologram flickering before dying.

"So, Qrow, what would you suggest we do?" Ironwood asked. Qrow looked over at Ozpin.

"Ozpin's plan is our best option; find a candidate for the procedure." He glanced at Winter. "Preferably someone other than her." She narrowed her eyes at him. Glynda looked away, anger in her eyes.

"As luck would have it Qrow, I have decided upon the other possible candidate."

* * *

Cinder paced in front of him, Neo and Emerald watching him from their bunks.

"You're sure it was Qrow?" she asked. He nodded.

"Reeked worse than my dad, bit of a jackass, and bad hair. Had to be him." Emerald looked over at Cinder.

"He's supposed to be hunting down Spring. What is he doing here?" Cinder stopped, her back to them.

"We'll just have to find out. Perhaps Salem think's we need the extra help." Mercury saw her pull out her scroll, staring at the screen. "I'm not sure why she would think that though; our clever little friend has taken care of most of the heavy lifting." She turned back to them, her eyes still glued to her screen. "I need you two to get some rest. You both have a big day ahead of you in the tournament. And Neo?" Neo cocked her head to the side. "I'm going to need you to give our new guest a visit."

Neo smiled.

And that's it. Next chapter isn't going to be based on an episode, and it has something in it I know many of you have been waiting for.


	35. Apologies

**And here's the next chapter! It has a scene in it I know a lot of reader's have long been waiting for. I hope I did it justice ^^;**

Glynda stood beside his desk, watching the door close as they left. An emptiness was gnawing at her belly. She inhaled, straightening her back.

"Are you positive this is the right thing for us to do, Ozpin?" she asked.

"It is." She wrapped her arms around her stomach.

"Then why do I feel so empty? Like I've just killed someone?" she asked.

He didn't answer.

* * *

Winter stared down into her ramen bowl, stirring the few remaining noodles with her chopsticks. The flies buzzing into bug zappers, the other patrons, and the tv playing behind the counter were all white noise to her.

The gardens were her favorite place to play in. So many statues to climb on, so many bugs to look at, so many flowers to sniff. Klein always told her not to go to the gardens when mama was out there but she had had a nightmare and wanted her mama to hold her.

She rounded a hedge corner, white roses starting to bloom. She smiled, running forward.

"Mama!" Winter exclaimed, throwing her arms out. Her mama was in her chair, a silver vase with a snake head sitting on the table. Her mama didn't look over at her, she stayed in her seat; that special glass she drank from during dinner was hanging from her hand. She stopped in front of her mama; her eyes were shut, drool running down her chin. A large red stain was on her white blouse, and on her blue skirt. Winter wrinkled her nose; why did mama smell so bad?

She rested her hands on her mama's knees, gently shaking her.

"Mama? Mama, wake up." Her mama snorted, her eyes fluttering open. She stared at her as if she didn't recognize her, before narrowing her eyes, her brow knitting in anger.

"What are you doing here?"

Winter looked up from her bowl, and scowled. Qrow stood next to her, his arms crossed.

"What do you want, Qrow?" she asked. He took the seat next to her, motioning at the old man running the stall to come over and take his order.

"I came for some grub. Didn't expect to find a Schnee lowering herself to commoner food." He looked her over. "Though with that get up, I'm not surprised no one's noticed you yet."

After leaving the meeting she had returned to her ship and switched into her civilian attire; a blue hoodie, white jeans, and blue sneakers. Winter sighed, and grasped the sapphire necklace resting against her jacket, running her thumb over the comforting surface. Qrow cocked an eyebrow.

"You never struck me as a religious woman."

"Did you not notice this when I wore it with my uniform?" she asked. Qrow shrugged.

"I thought it was just a gaudy decoration. My bad." The old man brought Qrow his order. Qrow looked around the bowl, sighed in annoyance, and pulled a fork from his coat pocket before beginning to eat.

"Qrow, why are you really here?" Winter asked. He held up a hand while he slurped up some noodles. Broth dripped onto his coat as he finished slurping them down. He wiped the broth off his lips with the back of his hand before looking at her.

"I wanted to apologize."

"For?"

"Trying to punch you." Winter chuckled.

"You're kidding." He frowned.

"I'm not. I was drunk and trying to start shit, and you just happened to be the closest person I felt like fighting." Winter cocked an eyebrow; he still reeked of alcohol.

"You're still drunk," She said. He shrugged.

"A bit. But I'm being serious." He lifted another forkful of noodles to his lips. "It wasn't right of me to pick a fight with a kid like you." Winter narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm twenty-nine, Qrow. I'm no more a child then you are." He laughed dryly.

"You're still a kid to me," he said.

They ate in silence for a while, Winter finishing her few remaining noodles. She drank the broth, savoring the taste. She set the bowl down, and glanced at Qrow. She inhaled sharply, leaning back in her seat.

He had his flask out and was raising it to his lips. Winter scowled at him.

"Put that away." She said.

"I'm thirsty." He replied.

"You have broth. They sell sodas. You don't have to drink that in front of me." He glanced at her, annoyed. He shrugged and pocketed the flask.

"Thank you." She said. She looked into her empty bowl. "Why do you do that?" she asked after a while.

"Do what?" he asked, his voice muffled as he ate. She turned to him.

"Drink. Do you not realize what you're doing? What kind of an example you are setting for your nieces? Do you have any idea what it is like for a child to see someone they look up to get too intoxicated to move?" Qrow turned to her, setting his fork off to the side. She saw her mother.

"I've been through a lot Winter. It helps me," he said. Winter's scowl deepened.

"That's no excuse. I've been through a lot too, and you don't see me poisoning myself or making a fool of myself in front of my family. You're pathetic." He frowned.

"Don't act like you know me. You have no idea what kind of shit I've been through." Winter shook her head.

"It doesn't matter. There is no excuse for what you're doing." Qrow looked into his ramen bowl, silent. "You're selfish if you think you're the only one affected by your drinking. You're making the lives of your nieces so much harder when they have to see you like that." She snorted. "But of course you don't care. Drunks like you only care about your alcohol; getting your next fix. Consequences be damned, as long as you can get your next sip everything is A fucking okay in your stupid little mind. You wouldn't care how devastating it would be for Ruby or Yang to find you passed out drunk. Or if you hurt them while drunk. Fuck you, Qrow." Winter spat. Qrow continued to stare into his bowl; his face betrayed no emotion.

"You done? Got it all out?" Qrow asked. Winter looked away.

"Yes," she said. She heard him get out of his seat. She looked over at him; he had his back to her.

"It's been a while since I've gotten a verbal ass-kicking. Not since I pissed off one of my old team mates."

"Your sister, I assume?" she asked. He shook his head and walked off.

* * *

Qrow walked away from the food stalls, stepping into the darkness surrounding the rest of the fairgrounds. He stopped against a closed stall and leaned against its wall; the tears ran down his cheeks, and he hiccupped. He rested a hand over his eyes, sobs rocking his body.

Her smile

Her silver eyes

Her white cloak

He pulled out his flask, and started to chug from it. The burn was soothing.

There was a clanging, the sound of something being struck against metal, and Qrow started to choke on his whiskey. He hit a fist against his chest as the coughing fit passed, pocketing his flask. He looked over and felt himself sober up; a set of white eyes were staring at him from the darkness. He grabbed his scythe, the blade springing into place. He held the scythe in front of him, the white eyes narrowed.

"Who are you?" he asked.

The white eyes moved closer, and Qrow could see the figure that the eyes belonged too. It was a petite woman with pink skin and brown hair, her clothes a sterile shade of white with faded pink and brown accents. She carried a frilly pink umbrella with her. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"What do you want?" The woman started to motion with her hands, and Qrow cocked his head to the side. She saw the confusion on his face, and pouted before pulling out a notebook from her pocket. She patted her pockets down, frowned, and held up a finger before slinking back into the darkness.

Qrow tightened the grip on his scythe as he heard a rat squeak in pain before it screamed. Silence. The woman stepped into his line of sight again, a limp rat in her hand. Qrow tasted bile; the rat's stomach had been ripped open, blood soaking the woman's hand. She smiled at him sweetly before she dropped the rat, and pulled out her notebook again. She flipped through a few pages before tracing her index finger over the page. She held the book up to him.

 **Y are u here?**

Qrow cocked an eyebrow, not lowering his scythe.

"You one of Cinder's?" The woman nodded, and tapped her finger on the page, smearing blood on it.

"I'm looking for Spring." The woman watched him for a moment before she flipped to a new page, writing on it.

 **Does she know ur here?**

"She sent me to look for Spring, I'm looking for her. Salem doesn't know where Spring is, so why would it matter if I'm here looking while you're here?" The woman narrowed her eyes, and flipped to a new page.

 **Are you going to help us?**

He shook his head.

"That's Cinder's task. I'm not gonna help her gain favor with our Goddess." The woman pouted.

 **U'll miss the fun**

"I'll pass." He watched the woman's face fall. "When is it happening? So I know when to get out of town." The woman perked up, and stared him in the eye for several minutes. Qrow's skin crawled as those soulless eyes stared into him. The woman smiled at him.

 **I can't tell u that**

The woman began to back up, disappearing into the darkness. She blinked, and Qrow saw the white eyes change to pink and brown before disappearing. He gripped his scythe, backing out of the stalls slowly, his eyes darting around to catch any sign of movement. There was nothing, and he couldn't hear anything different from the usual background festival sounds. He collapsed his scythe, and holstered it as he reentered the light. He rested his back against a stall, listening to the patrons laugh and talk.

He pulled out his flask and drained it.

* * *

Yang opened the door to the dorm room, letting them in. Penny's voice was a buzzing in Weiss' ear as Penny waved at them from her bunk. Weiss stopped in the center of the room, Ruby rushing past her and climbing onto her bunk and hugging Penny. Yang headed to the restroom, saying something about her hair.

Blake.

She was at the bookshelf, sorting through her novels, a quizzical look on her face. Weiss curled her hands, her nails digging in.

"Blake."

She looked back at her, her lips parted slightly as she looked at her. Weiss took a breath.

"Blake Bella-" she stopped. She took another breath. "Hōzuki Blake. I need to talk to you." She could feel them staring at her, Yang's hand resting on the door handle as she watched her, Penny and Ruby growing silent and releasing each other. Blake's bow twitched, and Blake blinked as she looked at her. It was dead quiet; Weiss swallowed, her heart thumping against her chest.

"I'm…I'm not good at this kind of stuff, Blake."

"Do you want us to leave you two alone?" Ruby asked. Weiss shook her head, keeping her eyes on Blake.

"No. All of you need to hear this." She crossed her arms, her wrists aching. She straightened her back. "Do you know why I hated the Faunus when we first met, Blake?" Blake's face darkened. She shook her head. She looked from Blake, to Yang, to Ruby and Penny. "Since my father took over the SDC, he has been discriminatory against the Faunus. Firing many of the Faunus executives who worked with my grandfather. He lowered the wages of the Faunus he kept, and he didn't allow Faunus to rise up in the company, they could only be miners. Not counting his encouragement and strong-arming of other companies to do the same with their Faunus employees." She laughed darkly. "By all accounts, my family deserved what was coming."

She took a step towards Blake.

"But when the White Fang set their sights on my family, the people they killed weren't the only victims." Blake's bow twitched. "My father is not a kind man. There is not a single thing about him that is warm, or loving. And do you know what he would do to me after a CEO, a family friend or distant relative, was kidnapped and murdered?" Silence. "How furious he would get when he would get a call at home about a huge shipment of Dust being destroyed?" Blake was getting fuzzier. Her voice cracked. "Do you know what it feels like, to know you were nothing more to your father then an outlet for his rage?"

"My mother wasn't any better; she spent almost all of her time drinking in our mansion's gardens. I can count on a single hand the amount of times I've talked to her while she was sober. You know what she would do if she saw father hitting me or yelling at my younger sister?" They all stared at her in disbelief. "She would just tell my father to keep it quiet, she didn't want to her us." Blake's mouth fell open. Weiss snorted.

"And I told myself for so long that I had no reason to feel the way I did; that I was acting like a spoiled brat for not eating for days. I had no right feeling so empty and dead." She uncrossed her arms, her hands shaking. She took her jacket off, holding her arms out in front of her, her underarms visible. Her lip quivered as they gasped at her, Blake's eyes widening, and starting to tear up. "That I had no reason to do this to myself. I'm rich. I can buy whatever I want in this world. I'm a gifted and famous singer. I'm a talented swordswoman, and am skilled with Dust. I have a house, I have clothes, and food. I don't have to worry about the Grimm or Raiders destroying my home. What more could I want?" She looked away.

"I didn't think it could be because my parents were awful people that they would do those things to me. It had to be someone else. It had to be the Faunus. They were the ones my parents always told me not to trust. They were the ones who were killing family friends. They were the reason why my father would hit me." She felt the tears start to fall. "I was stupid. So stupid." She took another step towards Blake.

"I was so deadest in my ways before I met you. You helped open my eyes to the Faunus. You taught me so much about your people, that when I learned who you really were I… I couldn't…. I wasn't able to process it. I never thought that you were someone who would do such horrible things. That you no doubt would have hated me and wanted my entire family dead for most of your life." She wrapped her arms around her chest as she stared into Blake's eyes. Blake was crying. "I wanted to hate you. I wanted to believe you truly didn't care about me; that all along this was some clever ruse for the White Fang to assassinate me." She shook her head. "But you're not like that anymore, Blake. You saved my life when you could have let that Faunus with the chainsaw butcher me. You nearly worked yourself to death trying to hunt down the White Fang and stop them." Blake took a step towards her, her lip quivering. Weiss smiled at her.

"Neither of us are the people we were taught to hate. And I know you did things that you are not proud of in the past, but I want you to know that I don't care. That was a different you, and the you standing before me would never do those things." Blake hiccupped, resting a hand over her mouth. Weiss unwrapped her arms. "I forgive you. And I'm sorry I took so long to say so." Blake embraced her with a cry, holding her tight. Weiss wrapped her arms around her, holding her close.

She felt Blake's hot breath in her ear as they hugged, Blake's voice shaky and quiet.

Three words

Three words she had never heard without a smug smile going with it.

Three words she had only heard from her parents after the bruises healed and the wine ran out.

She felt fresh tears welling, and buried her face in Blake's hair as she tried to stop them. She whispered her response in Blake's ear.

Four words.

 **And that's it!**


	36. Lessons Learned

**And here's the next chapter. Sorry it's late, I had finals last week ^^;. I hope it was worth the wait! And internet cookie to anyone who knows the song I used for Weiss' ringtone.**

The crowd erupted in applause as they took the stage, chanting her and Yatsu's name as they came to a stop in front of their opponents. She tuned the announcer's voices out; she knew who she was fighting. The holograms on around the arena began to speed through various symbols. Coco lowered her sunglasses, looking over girl's outfit. She whistled, and raised her glasses.

"Love the outfit," she said.

"Thanks. I'll try not to get blood on it." Yatsuhashi unsheathed his claymore.

"We cannot promise that." He said. Emerald smiled devilishly.

"It's not going to be my blood."

Coco laughed; this girl had spirit. She heard a ping, and looked over at the arena holograms. They had stopped on four different biomes, and Coco felt the ground shake around her as the arena floor gave way and was replaced with a war torn city, a forest, a savannah, and a geyser field. Steam hissed as the geysers shot water into the air, mist spraying down.

"Three! Two! One! Begin!"

Emerald and Mercury smirked at them, backing away, disappearing into the grass of the savannah.

"Coco."

"On it." She unslung her purse, turning it into a Gatling gun. The crowd went crazy, and Coco grinned, pulling the trigger. Her baby began to spin before it started firing. It tore through the grass in seconds, shredding it, leaving them nowhere to hide. What the?

The grass was smoldering as Coco stopped firing; there was no one in the grass.

"Move!" Yatsuhashi shouted, shoving her away. She spun around, Mercury slammed into Yatsuhashi's blade, sneering as Yatsu's arms shook. He back flipped off the blade, landing stylishly. Coco glowered and opened fire.

He ran towards her, zig zagging, moving faster than she could aim. She gasped as he launched himself at her, landing on the barrel of her gun before kicking her in the face. She jerked her arms up, tossing him off her rifle. He landed, ducking low as Yatsuhashi swung his sword at him. His body contorted, kicking the blade away before springing to his feet. Yatsu stumbled back, and Mercury's leg shot up, kicking him in the head. He spun his body, roundhouse kicking Yatsu in the side. Yatsuhashi grunted in pain before grabbing Mercury's boot as he went for another hit. Yatsu scowled and hurled Mercury towards her with a yell.

Mercury spun in the air, grabbing her shoulders and landing on her back. She scowled and turned her gun to its purse and swung it at him. He back flipped off of her, kicking her into Yatsuhashi. She growled with annoyance and spun towards him, shouting in pain as a shotgun blast hit in the legs. Mercury had his leg raised, smoke billowing from the end of his greaves. Yatsu leapt in front of her, throwing his sword in front of him; his arms quivering as he his sword took the next shot.

Coco shoved past Yatsu, running at Mercury with a yell. Mercury smirked at her, sidestepping her swings. He grabbed her arm, and kicked her in the leg. Electricity shot through her, and she screamed in pain. He sneered, his leg shooting up and hitting in the chin. She could taste blood as she bit her tongue.

Yatsu charged at him, swinging his sword. Mercury released her, spinning out of the way of the blade with a laugh. Coco leapt at him, and yelled in surprise as she felt herself get yanked back; a chain and blade wrapped around her torso. She hit the ground, being dragged backwards. She clawed at the ground, her face hitting rocks as she was dragged. She heard Yatsuhashi call out her name.

* * *

Yatsuhashi grunted as Mercury kicked him in the back of the head. He scowled, and turned to Mercury, grabbing him by the throat as he went for another blow. A flicker of fear shot through Mercury's face as Yatsuhashi threw him with a roar.

Mercury groaned in pain as he landed in the geyser field, water splashing as he tried to sit up. Yatsuhashi lunged at him, screaming, slamming his mighty claymore down on him. Mercury's legs shot up, stopping his blade. Yatsu growled as the geyser's around them erupted, mist and steam spraying around them.

Mercury kicked his blade away, and shot forward, his boots hitting Yatsu in the chest. He grunted, throwing his blade in front of him to block his attacks.

Yatsu swung at him, yelling as Mercury deflected each of his blows, jabbing at his shins and arms, and dancing around his blade. Water splashed around them as they fought, soaking Yatsuhashi's heavy robes.

Mercury leapt away from him, firing a shotgun blast into the water. The water was hot as it splashed into Yatsu's face and he stumbled back with a grunt, wiping at his face. He felt Mercury slam into him and he fell backwards, his head hitting the hard stone. He felt a rumbling for a brief moment, and a hiss, and screamed as a geyser erupted around his head. He shot up, swatting at his face as it stung and burned.

He opened his eyes, gasping for air, and was met with the sight of Mercury's boot.

* * *

The wind was knocked out of her as she slammed into a tree. The chain around her went slack as it was dragged away. Coco grabbed her stomach as she stood up, grunting in pain. She spat out a glob of blood, blood dribbling down her chin. She groaned with annoyance; one of the lenses of her glasses was missing, the other cracked. She tossed them aside with a sneer.

"You are so fucking dead," she said through clenched teeth.

She heard a giggle and gasped as the bark around her exploded, gunfire raining down on her. She ducked behind the tree, gritting her teeth as her Gatling gun sprang into place. She ran from the tree, firing at Emerald. Emerald ran along the tree branches, firing back at her, leaping from tree to tree, catching the branches with one of her sickles.

Emerald ducked behind a tree, and Coco fired at it; the bullets ripped through it. It came crashing down with a groan and leaves were thrown into the air as it hit the ground. Emerald was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn it," Coco said. She heard foot steps behind her and spun around. She sighed in relief at the sight of her team mate. "Careful, she's hiding in the trees." Yatsuhashi nodded in understanding, unsheathing his claymore.

"And with that last blow, Yatsuhashi is eliminated!" Port boomed.

Coco's eyes widened and she glanced over at the scoreboard; Yatsu's picture was grayed out. She looked back over at Yatsuhashi; he was gone.

She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. Her hand quivered, her gun trembling slightly. Her eyes darted around, her breathing unsteady as she looked any sign of movement. Her eyes widened as she heard a chain.

She yelled, collapsing her gun to its purse and trying to swing it at Emerald as the chain wrapped itself around her throat. Emerald jerked up and back, strangling her. Coco gasped, dropping her purse and grabbing at the chain, clawing at it, gagging. Her throat started to burn, her vision turning black. She felt Emerald's hot breath in her ear

"Shhhh, stop fighting it, Coco." Coco tried to answer, her voice was gone. She felt herself going numb, her world growing hazy.

* * *

She twirled her chain sickle with one hand, dragging Coco by her shirt. She smirked at the horrified gasps erupting throughout the audience as she tossed Coco's unconscious body next to Yatsuhashi's.

"And with a surprising turn of events, Emerald and Mercury of Haven are victorious!"

Emerald smirked, waving at the camera's as the Valian parts of the audience started to boo her.

* * *

Water gurgled peacefully as they ate their lunch in Beacon's water gardens. Weiss smiled as she watched Winter eat her crêpe. She hardly ever got to see Winter outside of her uniform; it was always refreshing to see her relax. Weiss stirred the strawberries on her plate with her fork.

"Do you know how long your shore leave is going to last?" Weiss asked. Winter looked up from her crêpe and shook her head.

"General Ironwood needs me here encase things don't go the way he predicts them to. But since he is not sure of _when_ that might be, he's asking me to take a break and enjoy my time with you." Winter's eyes lowered, and she looked away. "If Ironwood ends up needing me, I… I'm going to have to be gone for a long time, Weiss." Weiss frowned.

"How long would you be gone?" Winter shook her head, and laughed a little.

"That's classified."

"Would I be able to see you again?"

"Classified." Weiss looked down at her plate, slowly pushing the strawberries around. Winter placed her hand on hers, and Weiss looked up at her. Winter smiled at her reassuringly. "It's not likely that I will end up having to do that though, so no need to worry, Weiss." Winter leaned back in her seat, pulling her hand back and resting them in front of her. "So. Want to tell me a bit more about your team mates?" She rested her chin on her hands, staring at Weiss. "Ms. Belladonna is someone I am most curious about."

Weiss shifted in her seat, her sister's gaze unwavering as her eyes bore into her. She rubbed her wrist.

"What do you want to know about her?" she asked.

"I'm more interested in what you know about her," Winter said. Weiss started to play with her hands.

"Like what?" Winter narrowed her eyes.

"How much do you know about her past? What has she told you?"

"She told me that she grew up outside of the kingdoms, that she spent most of her life fighting." Winter continued to watch her.

"I take it she is an excellent fighter then."

"One of the best fighter's I've ever met," Weiss said, a hint of pride in her voice. Winter smiled.

"I'm glad to see you speak so highly of a Faunus, sister." Weiss' mouth fell open and Winter giggled. "You didn't think a little bow would be enough to fool an Atlas officer and Specialist, did you?" Weiss kicked her foot in the air, looking away from Winter.

"It fooled me," she mumbled. She looked back at her sister. "And you're not…upset, are you? About me being on a team with a Faunus?" Winter shook her head.

"It's easy to realize how wrong we were about the Faunus once we're away from Father, isn't it, Weiss?" Winter said. Weiss hesitated before she nodded. Winter lifted her head, raising her hand and motioning with it in the air. "I found that out rather quickly went I left for my combat school all those years ago." She smiled as she lowered her hand. "It's nice to see you moving away from his views." Winter sighed, and her face hardened again. "What else has Belladonna told you about herself?"

"Why are you calling her Belladonna?"

"That's her name, isn't it?"

"Her name is Blake." Winter leaned back in her seat.

"Blake, then. What else has Blake told you about her past?"

Weiss avoided her sister's gaze, rubbing her wrists. The White Fang emblem burned into her skin. Weiss shook her head, and sighed.

"I know that she has had a hard life; that our kind have mistreated her and her family all her life and that she has done things that she is not proud of, and that she has moved past that part of her life and is with me now, and that we make each other happy." She looked at Winter, catching her eye. "And I would prefer it if you would be direct with me instead of dancing around the subject you're actually trying to ask." Winter smirked at her.

"Fiery as always, sister. Very well." Winter leaned towards her. "Are you aware that your Blake was a member of the White Fang? That she is The Belladonna; a feared killer in the Vale branch? Did you know that she has killed dozens of Father's employees; several of them being CEO's kidnapped from Atlas?" Weiss crossed her arms.

"I did. She told the team and I all of that, along with certain other part's about her past I'm sure you are not aware of, and that I'm not at liberty to share. And I don't care if that was what she did in the past, she's changed." Winter folded her hands in front of her, her expression stern.

"In that case, I'm going to be perfectly honest with you." Weiss fidgeted under her sister's cold stare. "I don't care what she is like now, or how close you two might have become. If she gives me a reason to suspect she will harm you, I will kill her without hesitation." Weiss scowled, her lip curling.

"She won't give you a reason." Weiss said.

"We'll see," Winter said.

* * *

"Holy shit, seriously?" Sun exclaimed, Neptune's face lighting up. Blake sighed, and nodded, trying to hide the smile growing on her face, and the blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"That's great, news! I'm so happy for you two!" Neptune said.

"It's nothing, guys. It's not a big deal." Blake said. Neptune made a dismissive gesture with his hands.

"It totally is, Blake. You're Weiss Schnee's girlfriend now, that's huge." Blake tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Okay, maybe it was a big deal. Maybe this was the best thing to ever happen in her life. Maybe she was happier now than she had ever been in her life before.

"And to think, we only met cause you were trying to hide from her. Now look at you two." Sun said.

"Yeah." She let the smile show, playing with a stray strand of hair. "We've both changed a lot since then. I honestly never thought I would end up loving her."

"Already using the L word? Damn, sounds serious." Neptune said.

"We've gone through a lot together, and… and I think we are serious. I know it's not going to be easy for either of us, but I know we're going to try and make this work out." Sun smiled at her.

"Dawww, it's nice seeing you be so mushy, Blake." She playfully shoved him with a laugh.

"Shut up, Sun, I'm being serious."

"We know, Blake." Neptune said. Neptune crossed his arms. "And we want you to know that we're gonna be here for you when things get rough. And that we can give you some tips for being in a human Faunus relationship." Sun leaned in, and whispered in her ear.

"Have Weiss nibble on your ears when you two start getting frisky. Having your Faunus parts played with is amazing, trust me." Blake's eyes shot open, her face burning and Sun laughed as he stepped away from her.

"Sun! I-wha-it's-gah!" She buried her face in her hands while Sun and Neptune laughed at her.

* * *

Yang shook her head with a smile as she watched Ruby and her uncle play video games.

"You'll never beat me old man!" Ruby shouted, mashing the buttons on her scroll. Qrow smirked, and Yang saw Qrow's character, Soaring Ninja, dodge Ruby's attack and effortlessly decapitate her character. 'SOARING NINJA WINS!' flashed on the screen, as Qrow laughed, and Ruby pouted.

"Best two out of three?" Qrow asked.

"Heck yeah!" Ruby said. The screen returned to the character select, and Qrow went straight to Soaring Ninja. Yang cleared her throat as Ruby decided on her character.

"You gonna finish your story? About your last mission?" she asked. Qrow looked at her, not paying attention to the screen as Ruby picked her character.

"Hm? Oh yeah. Where was I?" He watched the screen absent mindedly, easily countering Ruby's attacks as he thought of where he left off. "I was in the swamplands of Western Mistral; real shi-uh, terrible place, you could tell it wasn't right."

"What were you doing there?" Yang asked.

"Needed some info about the person I was hunting." He started to pay attention to the screen. "I was pretty tired from battling Grimm so I thought I would wet my beak at the local inn. And hey, what better place to look for information then at an inn, right?"

"So I head in, and the place is crawling with all types of low-lives and thugs. There were even some Hunters who were there for jobs less respectable then my own. And that was when it happened."

"What happened?" Ruby asked, looking away from the screen, her character idle. Qrow smirked.

"I was defeated." Qrow's character attacked Ruby's, slicing her in half. "By the mere sight of the cutest inn keeper you have ever seen."

"Soaring Ninja wins!" Ruby looked back at the screen, watching it in disbelief. She frowned and punched Qrow in the side.

"You cheated!" she said. Qrow laughed as the screen went back to the character select.

"It's called a distraction, kiddo. Ya gotta pay attention to your opponent at all times." He picked Soaring Ninja. "Best three out of five?" he asked. Ruby nodded, picking a new character. Yang lifted her legs onto her bed, sitting cross-legged.

"So did you get in trouble with old Ozpin?" Yang asked.

"Nah, Oz and I go way back. We're cool." Yang snorted.

"Cool for some old geezers." Qrow rolled his eyes.

"What are you doing here anyway, Uncle Qrow? Dad said you were gonna be out on a mission for like….ever?" Ruby asked. Qrow shrugged, not paying attention to the screen but still kicking Ruby's ass.

"A professional Hunter is expected to get results. And that's exactly what I do." Ruby nodded, her character ducking under Qrow's as he swiped at her.

"I get that. We're practically pro's at this point." Qrow guffawed, falling onto the floor, his character still kicking the stuffing out of Ruby's.

"What's so funny? We saved Vale, and stopped Roman Torchwick, that's something no other Vale Hunter was able to do." Yang said. Her uncle stopped laughing, and sat up, wiping away a tear.

"You kids have a long time to go before you're pro Hunters. I read the news after the Breach happened; over a hundred civilians killed, more wounded. Damage to dozens of buildings, and all that political bs that the Council did in response to it. I mean sure it would have been a lot worse if you two and you're friends weren't there but that's far from what I would have called a professional mission." Yang crossed her arms as Ruby groaned in annoyance as she lost another round.

"We still captured Roman Torchwick though. Crime's been down ever since Ironwood locked him up." Qrow made a face, pondering what she said.

"Sure, you managed to get a wanted criminal. But that second part, about the crime, have you actually looked at Vale's crime rate recently?" Yang furrowed her brow, resting her finger on her chin. She hadn't actually bothered looking at the news recently, there wasn't anything happening. Wait. She looked back over at her uncle. Her grinned knowingly. "Figured it out did ya? Vale's crime didn't come down; it stopped completely. Mighty suspicious, wouldn't you say?"

"The Vale White Fang have been quiet for the past year, no major attacks against the Schnee's outside of that train explosion last year. They've only popped up three times this entire year so far; the shootout at the docks in spring, the attack on the highway during the summer, and the Breach last month. All of those attacks involved Roman in some way and suddenly after he's captured they go quiet." Qrow said. He looked off to the side, annoyed. "They're involved in something bigger than just fighting the Schnee's. Them and Roman." He chortled. "Damn fool probably doesn't even know what he's doing."

Yang cocked her head to the side, and Ruby looked over at her, confused. Yang cocked an eyebrow as Qrow stared into nothing.

"You…you know Roman Torchwick?" Qrow looked up.

"Hm? Yeah, he went to Beacon same time as your parent's and I did. He ended up getting kicked out though. And besides, I know damn near everyone to an extent. I _was_ a member of the best team to ever attend Beacon Academy after all; Team STRQ" Qrow rifled through his coat pocket and pulled out a folded up photo. He unfolded it, holding it out. Yang's eyes widened as she stared at her mother; she looked so young. Qrow's voice became a droning in her ear as she stared at her mother.

She swung her sword, a swirling red and black portal materializing behind her. Raven put her mask back on, her red eyes glaring out from the eye slits as she turned to her.

"I am not a woman you want to make an enemy of, daughter." Raven said, her voice muffled by the mask. Yang sneered, Ember Celica shifting into place.

"Neither am I, mother." Raven glowered at her before sheathing her blade and walking into the portal.

"Goodbye, Yang." Her mother said as the portal closed.

The picture was pulled back, and Yang shook her head, the memory fading. She looked at her uncle as he tucked the faded photograph away. He stood up, resting his hands behind his head.

"Anyway, I think I've kicked your butt enough times today, Ruby." He stopped in the doorway, and turned to them. "You two have done great out here on your own, but just remember that you both have a long way to go. And don't ever think that once you've graduated from here that it's over; a single day out there is worth a week in this place." He gave them a smile. "You two are gonna go far, I can feel it. But only if you keep learning, and never stop moving forward."

* * *

Winter set her fork onto her plate, resting her hands on her napkin as Weiss stirred her scraps around with her fork.

"Weiss." Her sister looked up at her. "I want you to know that I am proud of how far you have come out here on your own." She reached out her hand, and Weiss tentatively let her place her hand on hers. "You are one of the strongest women I know, Weiss." She looked at Weiss' forearms, her expression falling. She grasped Weiss' hand, holding it firmly. "I can tell that you're upset with me about what I told you about Blake. But please know that it's only because I worry about you, and just want you to be safe." Weiss pulled her hand back.

"I can handle myself, Winter. I'm much stronger then when I left home." Winter raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Are you now?" Weiss nodded.

"I am. I've mastered many of my glyphs, and I am the best swordswoman in Beacon. If you think a White Fang assassin would be able to hurt me, then you are wrong."

"So that means you've mastered your summoning as well?" Winter asked. Weiss' ego deflated and she looked away dejectedly.

"You know I can't."

"Don't be ridiculous, every Schnee can; it's in our blood." Weiss huffed.

"Then I must be the freak of the family. I can't do it no matter how hard I train." Winter gave Weiss a hard look.

"You are not a freak. Don't _ever_ think that you are." She held up her hand, a glyph appearing above her hand. "Your semblance is just like a muscle, Weiss. The more you use it, the stronger it will become. If you never push yourself, if you never test the limits of what you think is possible for you to do." Winter flicked her wrist, the glyph disappearing in a flash of azure light. Weiss' eyes widened and Winter reached behind her, rubbing the fur of her favorite summon. The wolf nuzzled her hand, growling happily. "Then you will never truly grow, sister."

Winter stood up, her summon disappearing in a flurry of snowflakes.

"Now then, I want you to try and summon. I'll help you."

Weiss groaned in annoyance but complied, taking a spot in the center of the pavilion. She drew her sword, her back ruler straight, her feet spread apart. Winter grinned.

"Excellent form. Now begin."

A glyph materialized on the floor, swirling. Weiss grit her teeth, focusing on the glyph, her shoulder's going taut.

"Think back to you fallen foes, Weiss. The one's who pushed you past your limits, the ones who broke you and helped in your rebirth." The glyph flickered, a bead of sweat appearing on Weiss' forehead. "Think of them, Weiss! Watch as they come to your side!" The glyph's speed picked up, and Winter's mouth opened as she watched in anticipation. The glyph began to shrink, flickering, the speed slowing down before the glyph disappeared.

"I can't." Weiss said, out of breath. Winter sighed.

"Try again." Weiss shook her head.

"I said I can't, Winter. I'm not good enough."

"Stop doubting yourself!" Winter yelled, grabbing her sister's shoulder and making Weiss face her.

"I can't do it, Winter! I'm not good enough to do this, I'm not you!"

"I don't want you to be like me, Weiss. But I know that you can do this. Now try again!"

"I have tried! I just can't do it. It's impossible." Winter frowned as Weiss wiped the sweat off her face.

"Fine, Weiss. We're done for today. But we will train again later." Weiss grimaced, and sheathed her sword. "You'll get it eventually, I didn't take to it immediately either." Weiss said nothing, and just sighed. Winter rested her arms behind her.

"Have you spoken to Father lately? Does he know about Blake?" Weiss looked at her as if she had just stabbed a puppy.

"Are you crazy? Who knows what he would do if he learned I was on a team with a Faunus."

"And dating said Faunus." Winter added. Weiss blushed, and played with a stray bang.

"We were that obvious, huh?" she asked. Winter shook her head.

"Not when I met them, but you did say that she was with you now and that you two made each other happy, so it's not hard to assume what that meant. I don't think you should allow yourself to get so close to someone so dangerous, Weiss. It could be all a ruse for all you know." Weiss shook her head.

"Blake has had plenty of opportunities to kill me or let me die, and she has saved my life every time. She knows about my scars, I think she knows about Mirror, and yet she loves me, Winter." Weiss stared into Winter's eyes. "Blake would never hurt me."

"If you truly believe that, then I'm not going to interfere. But just know that I will be watching Blake for as long as I am here. You may trust her, but I don't." Weiss broke the stare. "And rest assured, I won't tell Father about her." She chuckled. "I don't think he even has my scroll number anymore." Weiss crossed her arms.

"I wish he didn't know mine," she said. Winter cocked her head to the side.

"I thought you hadn't spoken to him lately?"

"I haven't. But that doesn't mean he hasn't tried calling me."

"Ah. Let me guess, after you ignored him you lost access to your bank account." Weiss's mouth parted.

"How did you know that?"

"He did the same thing to me after I left and cut contact with him. He's baiting you; he wants you to call him and beg for his money so he can try to guilt you into coming home and going to Atlas instead. Which leaves you with two options; giving him what he wants, or you can continue to ignore him. Explore more of Remnant on your own, and figure yourself out, and discover what you truly wish to do with your life."

Weiss looked away, chewing on her lip. Winter reached towards her but stopped when she felt her scroll vibrate in her hoodie's pocket. Winter pulled her scroll out and saw a text from General Ironwood.

"F.M Discussion, my ship. 14:00." It read. Winter pocketed her scroll and looked back at Weiss.

"I have to go, Weiss. But it was nice seeing you today. Let me know when it's convenient for you to train again." Winter held her arms out and Weiss hesitated before embracing her. Winter stroked the back of Weiss' head as Weiss hugged her, burying her face into her shoulder. The hug lasted a moment before Weiss broke it. Winter smiled at her, holding onto her shoulders. "Be safe, okay, Weiss?" Weiss nodded.

Winter's arms slid off her sister's shoulder's and rested at her side as she made her way to her ship to change into her uniform.

* * *

Weiss tucked her hands into her dress's pockets as she walked through the courtyard. There was a chill in the air, the cold biting at her legs. The streetlights were the only light, the moon hidden behind clouds. She sighed, closing her eyes as she walked past a streetlamp.

 _One hand, loves the other, so much on me._

Weiss opened her eyes as the ringtone on her scroll played. She pulled her scroll out, smiling softly. Blake. She answered the call.

"Yes, Blake?" She asked. Blake hesitated for a moment, Weiss could hear her shifting around, their teammates voices in the background.

"Ruby and Yang are going to go hang out with their uncle. The dorm's going to be empty so…." Blake trailed off for a moment. "Would you want to watch that movie you talked about? You read Ninjas of Love so I thought it would be fair for me to keep my end of our promise."

"That sounds-" Weiss stopped as her scroll vibrated. She pulled her scroll back, her eyes widening at the name on the screen. Father.

"Weiss? Weiss are you there?" Blake's voice drifted from her scroll. Weiss took a breath, and swiped the ignore call for her father. She smiled and brought her scroll back up to her ear.

"Sorry, I was in a bad spot. I said that sounds lovely. I'll be right there."

"Okay. I'll be here." Weiss hung up, putting her scroll away. She exhaled, her breath a pale mist in the lamplight.

 **And that's it! I'll try and get the next chapter out this week. It's gonna be an original chapter based around JNPR and NDGO.**


	37. Round Two

**And here's the next chapter! Sorry I wasn't able to pump out 2 chapters in a week, this fight scene was harder to do than I imagined it would be. (The Re: Zero ost is great stuff to listen to while writing fight scenes). Anyway, hope you all enjoy it!**

Nora stretched her arms, grinning at her opponents. Nebula was a pretty woman with short indigo hair, dressed in formfitting gray clothes and a blue long coat. She had a crossbow slung across her back. She smiled back at her. Dew was leaning against her spear, a bored expression on her face, her dirty blonde hair covering a part of her face. She wore a green sleeveless dress over her golden scale armor. They were both quite tan.

"I don't think it would be ludicrous to say that this match has been hotly anticipated; two fan favorites battling it out." Port boomed.

"Agreed Peter; Team NDGO was a favorite back at Vacuo, and after their crushing defeat of Team SLVR in the first round, they have cemented their place with this crowd. And it goes without saying how excited everyone is to see Pyrrha Nikos fight again." Oobleck added.

Nora unslung her hammer, the screens around the arena spinning through the biomes. She heard a ping, and the ground shook as the biomes rose into place. A desert rose behind Nebula and Dew, an artificial sun forming above the desert, nearly blinding her with its brightness. A multitude of rectangular gun metal blue panels rose up, shifting and moving around, Black Dust crystals embedded in them. Anti-gravity panels. Nora smirked. She craned her head and saw an ice field and a swamp rise up behind them. She looked back and saw Nebula and Dew looking back at the desert. Nebula threw up a fist in excitement.

"Home field advantage again, wooh!" Nebula said, unslinging her crossbow.

"Don't think it's gonna help you in this fight," Nora said. Nebula and Dew looked back at them, Dew yanking her spear out of the arena floor.

"We'll see about that," Dew said.

"Three, two, one! Begin!"

Nora charged forward, Pyrrha running behind her. She leapt towards Nebula, swinging her hammer down with a laugh. She saw a gold blur and grunted as her hammer hit Dew's spear. Dew was scowling, standing between her and Nebula. Nebula gave her a smile as her crossbow turned into a sword. Dew spun her spear, wrenching her hammer from her hands. Nora stepped back, Dew smirked.

Pyrrha shot past her, leaping over Dew and landing next to Nebula. Nebula's eyes shot open, throwing up her sword just in time to catch Pyrrha's spear.

"Nebula!" Dew turned away for a moment, and Nora sprinted over to her hammer, scooping it up, and turning to Dew. She grunted as her spear came crashing into her hammer. Dew shoved forward with her spear, the tip aimed at her face. Nora grit her teeth, trying to raise her hammer. Dew grinned, the white gem in her spear head starting to glow. Nora's eyes widened.

"Oh crap!"

A shot of air sprang from the spear head, hitting her in the face, launching her into the air. Wind Dust. She hit the ground with pained groan, coughing as she struggled to her feet. She glowered at Dew, and gasped as Dew stabbed her spear into the ground, a twister springing forth, aimed at her. She ran from the twister, leaping into the muck filled waters of the swamp.

* * *

Nebula ducked under her spear, stabbing at her with her sword. Pyrrha knocked the blow aside with her shield, shoving forward. Nebula stepped back, holding her sword in front of her. Her eyes darted away for a second, and Pyrrha lunged.

Nebula leapt out of the way, making a break for the anti-gravity panels. Her crossbow sprang into place and she turned and fired a shot as she was launched into the air. Pyrrha raised her shield, her arm kicking back as the bolt struck her shield. She lowered it and saw Nebula standing on a panel, upside down. Nebula grinned at her, taking aim again.

Pyrrha sprinted, darting around her bolts as she fired at her. She leapt into the anti-gravity field, smirking as a gray shimmer surrounded her.

"Is-?"

"Why indeed she is! Ms. Nikos is using her semblance to negate the effects of the panels!"

Pyrrha's smug smirk grew as she landed on the panel beneath Nebula.

* * *

Muck and water splashed into the air as she landed, soaking into her clothes. She stepped back from the tree line, tightening her grip on her hammer. Dew came crashing through the trees, yelling as she jumped from a small twister. Nora jumped out of the way as Dew slammed her spear into the muck. Dew's body spun, her hands on the spear, her legs shooting out and hitting Nora in the face. Nora fell back, sputtering, and sneered as Dew landed in the water, yanking her spear out of the muck.

Dew lunged, and Nora hit her spear head away from her chest, swinging her hammer and striking Dew across the face with the staff. Nora yelled, swinging at Dew. Dew sidestepped her, ducking low beneath her swings. She jabbed at her, slicing her with her spear. Nora grit her teeth, her grenade launcher springing into place. Fear shot through Dew's face as Nora fired at her with a laugh. Dew spun her spear, blowing a cyclone at the grenades. Dew twirled her spear, shooting the grenades out of the swamp.

Nora charged, bringing her hammer out, swinging with a yell. Dew caught her blow, snarling as she struggled against Nora's strength. Dew's eyes darted down for a moment, and she grinned at her, pushing forward. Nora snarled, and screamed as she felt herself suddenly pulled down. She gasped, losing her grip on her hammer, water and slime splashing into her eyes. A force in the water was sucking her down. She fell into the water, and started swimming as hard as she could. She broke the surface, gasping for air. She got to her feet, her body soaked and grimy, and spun to face Dew. Dew pulled her spear out of the water, the whirlpool she had formed dissipating.

Dew tossed her spear into her other hand as Nora raised her fists. Dew stretched her neck, walking towards, tossing her spear from hand to hand.

"Let's have some fun," Dew said. Nora shifted her legs, taking the stance Yang had shown her. Dew caught her spear, stabbing it into the water behind her. Dew launched herself at her, water spraying into the air as she sped forward. Nora stood her ground, throwing a hook. Dew dodged out the way, sliding between Nora's legs and springing up behind her. Nora spun around, punching at her. Dew dodged her punches, and stabbed at her with her spear. Nora grabbed the spear shaft, yanking forward and slamming her head into Dew's. Dew grunted in pain, grasping her head as Nora kicked her in the gut, knocking her into the water. Dew glared up at her, leaning against her spear as she stood. Nora smirked, cracking her knuckles. Dew narrowed her eyes.

Dew twirled her spear, the Dust crystal glowing. A vortex sprang from her spear, knocking Nora off her feet, and hurling her into a tree. The winds buffeted against her face, and she strained to open her eyes. Dew snarled at her, and swung her spear at another tree, the vortex mimicking her. Nora screamed as she was slammed into another tree, hearing it crack as she hit it. It was hard to breathe, the winds beating against her, ripping and tugging at her. Dew jerked the spear skyward, and Nora was thrown into the air, soaring above the trees. Her stomach flipped, her arms flailing, yelling as she fell towards the water. Dew was a green and gold flash as she slammed her spear into her, launching her into a tree, crashing through it.

* * *

Nebula stared at her in shock before shaking her head, her sword springing into place. Nebula swung at her and Pyrrha jumped up, spinning in the air to land on the panel Nebula was on. Nebula spun to face her, grunting as she blocked Pyrrha's spear thrust in the nick of time. Nebula slashed at her, and Pyrrha ducked under the blade, sliding against the panel. She slammed the staff of her spear into the back of Nebula's knees. She fell onto her knees, grunting in pain.

Pyrrha's head whipped over at the sound of explosions; several grenades going off outside the tree line of the swamp. Pyrrha frowned, and yelped as Nebula's hilt struck her in the face. She staggered back, raising her spear, deflecting Nebula's slashes. She jumped above Nebula's swing, landing on the platform below them, spinning and thrusting upward. Nebula hissed in pain as the spear hit her shoulder.

Nebula ran, leaping toward a moving panel near her. Her sword transformed into a crossbow as she turned in the air, firing at Pyrrha. Pyrrha reached out, a gray shimmer enveloping the bolt as it was hurled back at Nebula. Her eyes widened, rolling out of the way as she landed, the bolt embedding itself into the metal.

Pyrrha ran to the edge of the platform, tossing her shield into the air and leaping onto it, spring boarding towards Nebula with a yell. Nebula 'eeped', firing another bolt at her. Pyrrha caught it with her hand, landing and hurling it at her. She slammed her spear shaft into Nebula's face, knocking her off of the platform. Nebula screamed, before grunting.

Pyrrha peeked around the edge, surprised to see Nebula being suspended in the air by a twister. She looked over to see Dew sprinting towards them, her spear aimed at Nebula. Pyrrha glanced over at the scoreboard, narrowing her eyes; Nora's picture was grayed out. She held her hand out, feeling her shield slide back into place. She took a stance as Nebula was raised onto the platform, a confident smirk on her face. She heard Dew land behind her.

Nebula and Dew charged her at the same time. She sidestepped Dew's spear, parrying Nebula's sword wither her spear and slamming her shield into Nebula's face. Nebula grunted, swing at her face as Dew stabbed at her stomach. Pyrrha spun out of the way of the blades, turning her body and stabbing at Dew while kicking away Nebula's sword.

She parried another stab at her with her shield, hissing as Nebula's sword raked over her arm. She kicked Nebula away before leaping onto the platform to their left, landing gracefully. She collapsed her spear and shield, sheathing them. She grit her teeth, feeling a bead of sweat forming on her brow as a gray shimmer enveloped one of the smaller platforms. She saw Nebula and Dew look at her in confusion, and the confusion turn to fear as Pyrrha swung the platform with a yell.

They screamed as they were sent flying out of the biome, Nebula slamming into a rocky outcropping in the desert biome, her aura crackling around her as she collapsed into the sand. Dew frantically twirled her spear while in the air, a cyclone forming around her.

Pyrrha drew her spear and shield, leaping from platform to platform, and tossing her shield into the air with her semblance. She jumped from it, colliding with Dew, knocking her out of her cyclone. They struggled against each with their spears as they fell, Dew struggling against her.

They hit the sand, hard, Dew groaning in pain. Pyrrha shoved forward with her spear, trying to choke Dew with the staff. She cried out in pain as she felt something kick in the back, and Dew tossed her off, struggling to her feet. Pyrrha rose up, frowning, her body slick with sweat. Dew smirked, and stabbed her spear into the sand; a dust devil springing forth. Pyrrha gasped as she was thrown into the air, swirling with the vortex. She turned her spear into a rifle, ignoring the droning voice of Oobleck and Port as she neared the arena edge. She squeezed one eye shut as she aimed, and fired.

Dew screamed, a bright flash surrounding her spear as the Dust crystal exploded. The dust devil died instantly and Pyrrha landed into the sand with a grunt, looking up at Dew as she was busy staring at her spear head in disbelief.

She charged forward with a yell, and Dew looked away from her spear in time to catch her blow. They swung at each, stabbing, jabbing, parrying, their spears interlocking. Pyrrha shoved forward, knocking Dew off balance, and she fell into the sand. Pyrrha spun her spear, slamming the base of it into Dew's face. Her blue's eyes widened as her aura broke, crackling green around her.

Pyrrha exhaled, stabbing her spear into the ground as the crowd erupted in applause.

"And in a stunning turnaround, Pyrrha Nikos wins the round for Team JNPR!" Port exclaimed.

Pyrrha held out her hand to Dew, smiling. Dew looked at her hand warily before gingerly taking it. Pyrrha pulled her up, clasping her on the shoulder.

"You fought well. I honestly thought I wasn't going to win." Pyrrha said. Dew smiled back at her.

"It was an honor to get to compete against you." She looked over at her spear, at the shattered Dust crystal. She bit her lip. "I wish you hadn't done that to my weapon though." Pyrrha's smile fell and she squeezed Dew's shoulder.

"I know someone who might be able to replace that crystal. It's the least that I can do." She said. Dew's face lit up, and Pyrrha let go of her shoulder. With a sigh she let the old camera smile appear on her face as she turned to the camera's, waving.

* * *

She took a drag from her cigarette as she sat on the rooftop. The air was cold, the smoke warm in her lungs. She exhaled, blowing a ring with the smoke.

"Coco?" She looked back and saw Velvet standing near the roof door. Her ears were drooping, and she had her hands behind her back.

"Hey Velv. Didn't hear ya come up." She pulled the pack out of her pocket and held it out to Velvet as she sat down next to her. Velvet motioned no with her hand and Coco frowned, but pocketed it. Velvet let one of her legs dangle off the side, resting her arm on her knee as she stared at the horizon. Coco took another drag as she watched her. Velvet looked over at her.

"How are you feeling, Coco?"

Coco flexed her bad leg; it was still sore from the hit it took in the match the other day but it didn't feel too terrible. Velvet rested her hand on her leg, rubbing her knee.

"I've been worried about you, Coco. That mission Ozpin had us do really got to you." Coco frowned, and Velvet retracted her hand at the look Coco gave her. "You've been drinking and smoking more. You seem more tired, like you aren't sleeping. And now with that fight in the tournament, I'm really starting to worry." Coco's brow furrowed. "You said you saw Yatsuhashi in the forest with you, right?" Coco spat out the butt of her cigarette, pulling out the pack and grabbing a new one.

"Yeah, I did." She said, lighting the cigarette. She took a drag. "I'm not crazy, Velv. I _did_ see him; I heard him walk up behind me too."

"I believe you when you say that you saw him, but that's what worries me. He wasn't really there, Coco." Velvet played with her hands for a moment, hesitant. "Maybe it's time to give Doctor Duerf a visit?" she said quietly.

"So I'm fucking crazy is what you're trying to tell me?" Coco spat. Velvet's gaze fell.

"Of course not, Coco. But Beacon's training is taxing; physically and mentally. I just think you might benefit from some type of counseling." Velvet hesitated before reaching her hand out, slipping it into Coco's. Coco looked away. "I love you, Coco. I just want what's best for you." Coco flicked the cigarette away, and sighed.

"If I get sent to a looney bin, I'm dumping you." Velvet giggled.

They stayed like that for a while; her smoking and Velvet holding her hand. Coco flicked the butt of her cigarette away, and sighed.

"Sucks we lost." She said.

"At least we still have JNPR to root for." Coco looked over at her, cocking her head to the side.

"What about RWBY?" she asked. Velvet looked away, kicking her foot in the air. Coco's eyebrow's rose, her mouth parting as she looked at Velvet. "Do you not like them?"

"Ruby and Yang are nice." Coco blinked.

"And Weiss and Blake?" Velvet was quiet.

"Let's talk about something else." She finally said.

"Um, okay. Sure."

They sat in silence.

* * *

Penny sniffed the black rose she had picked up. She smiled at the floral scent and held it out to Ruby.

"What do you think of this one, Ruby?"

Ruby looked up from the yellow hydrangeas' she had been looking at. She smiled.

"I love black roses; they're a super rare Vacuon flower."

"Would you like to purchase it?" Ruby considered it for a moment, chewing on her lip, before shaking her head.

"Nah. I had to lend some money to Weiss, so I can't buy much right now." Penny cocked her head to the side.

"Weiss is a part of the Schnee family; they are the richest family on Remnant, why does she need to borrow money from you, Ruby?" Ruby shrugged.

"Her dad cut her off or something like that. She didn't really explain it all that well." She picked up a white rose. "But she's my team mate, and we look out for each other." She set the rose down, and turned to look at her. "Wanna go check out that weapon's stall we passed? I think they had some cool stuff down there." Penny nodded, setting the black rose back down on the counter.

It was crowded as they made their way to the stall, people crowded around the various booths, laughing and talking, playing with whatever was for sale or dining on the various foods for sale. Penny held onto Ruby's hand as they made their way there. She saw a balloon stand, the Faunus running the stand had a painted face, and slowed down, her hand slipping from Ruby's. She grasped her head, gasping in pain, squeezing her eyes shut.

 _Which balloon would you like, Penny?_

 _The red one, Papa!_

 _A gentle laugh, the most reassuring sound._

 _The red one it is._

She opened her eyes, lowering her hands, breathing hard. She swallowed, her breathing slowing. She looked over at Ruby, who was watching her, concerned.

"You okay?" Penny looked at her hands, opening and closing them. She nodded.

"I think so. I... I am not sure what came over me, Ruby." She looked up at her and smiled. "But I am feeling okay now. Let us continue on our way!" Ruby looked her over before holding her hand out. Penny took it, and the continued to the stall.

Ruby's eyes seemed to sparkle as she looked at the various weapons, oooing and awwwing at the various knives, swords, and spears. She picked up a dagger, placing her finger against the edge.

"Ow!" she exclaimed, dropping the blade, shaking her finger. Penny saw blood start to run down before Ruby pressed her finger against her dress. A maroon light flickered around Ruby for a moment, and she held her finger in front of her. The bleeding had stopped, and a small pink scar was where the cut had been. Penny cocked her head to the side, looking at her hands; her hands had completely healed from when that truck grill had ripped her hands up. She looked back at Ruby as she rubbed her finger, grimacing. Lines crisscrossed her palms, small white scars on her fingers, and calluses at the base of her fingers. Penny blinked and looked back at her hands; they were completely smooth, no lines, no scars, not even finger prints. She flexed her fingers, her mind drifting to Weiss.

Her arm's had been covered in scars; large, thick scars that went from one end to the other, and a multitude of small scars crisscrossing from her wrist to her elbow. A number of tiny ones covered her hands. Penny frowned, and looked over at Ruby.

"Ruby? Those scars on your hands, what are they from?" Ruby looked at her, confused, before glancing down.

"Oh. Crescent Rose is really sharp and sometimes I wouldn't pay attention while sharpening it, or would test the edge to make sure it was sharp enough. Nothing to worry about." Penny cocked her head to the side.

"I see. And the scars on Weiss' arms…. those were not from accidents, right?" Ruby's face fell, and she kicked at nothing.

"Yeah. Those weren't done on accident. I uh… I can't really say why Weiss would do that to herself, other than she must have been in a lot of pain."

"She wanted to self-terminate, that is what those types of scars mean, right?" Ruby sighed.

"Yeah, she's talked about wanting to do that before." Penny played with her hands, unsure of how to ask it politely.

"Do you ever want to harm yourself, Ruby? To self-terminate?" Ruby looked at her, shock on her face.

"What? No, I don't want to die, Penny. Where is this coming from?"

"You said you are not good at expressing your feelings, and you were really troubled after the Breach. I never noticed the scars on your hands before now. Weiss seemed to resort to that out of a lack of having someone to talk to about her issues. I wanted to make sure that you were feeling okay." Ruby's lips parted for a moment, before she smiled at Penny. She reached for her hand, holding it.

"I'm doing okay, Penny. Thank you. If I ever do start to get bad thoughts like that, I'll talk it out with you."

"Promise?" Ruby giggled, and leaned in. Her lips were soft, and tasted like strawberries. Ruby broke the kiss, pulling back. Love was in her silver eyes.

"Promise." She said. Penny smiled.

* * *

Jaune followed after Weiss, Pyrrha at his side, Ren and Nora behind him. The delicious smell of various foods wafted through the air as Weiss led them to the restaurant she had in mind.

"Thanks again for doing this for us, Weiss." Nora said. Weiss looked back at them and smiled.

"I said I would treat you guys as thanks for paying for our meal. And a Schnee never breaks her promise." Weiss looked at Jaune. "And I believe you were in the middle of talking about your siblings." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Where was I again?"

"The part where your little sister cut off your hair for you. You said you used to keep it in a ponytail."

"I prefer wolftail. Sounds more masculine." Weiss laughed.

"You're the spitting model of masculinity, Jaune."

He looked away as they laughed, his expression falling. Aurélie's voice's replayed in his mind.

"You're sure you want to do this, Joan?"

"Y-yeah."

Jaune shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Weiss had a hand on her lips, smiling.

"So what happened after you cut this mighty wolf's tail?" He rubbed the back of his head.

Crocea Mors sat in its glass case, hanging above his great great grandfather's armor. His breathing was unsteady, his hand's shaking as he opened the case. He swallowed as he pulled the sword down, nearly dropping it in his unsteady grip. It was a lot heavier than he imagined it would be. He buckled it around his waist. He took a deep breath, held it, and exhaled as he pulled out his grandfather's nicked and dented armor. It was snug against his chest as he strapped it on. He closed the case, catching his reflection in the glass. He hated the girl looking back at him.

"Remnant to Jaune." He looked up to see Weiss looking at him, her eyebrow arched. "Did you not hear me?" she asked.

"Hm? Oh. No. I heard you. I uh, I came to Beacon after that." He stuffed his hands in his hoodie's pockets. "What restaurant are you taking us to?" he asked. She flashed him a smile.

"The best restaurant at a fairground with a one hundred lien budget." She said.

"Only a hundred?" Nora exclaimed.

"Nora, hush. Be glad Weiss is feeding us." Ren said.

Music started to play, and Pyrrha stopped, pulling her scroll out from her pouch. Jaune saw a flicker of annoyance in her eyes before she looked up at them, smiling sweetly.

"Do you all mind if I take this? I'll catch up with you at the restaurant." Jaune nodded, and Pyrrha began to walk away. "Thank you. I won't be long."

* * *

She ducked behind a booth, putting her scroll to her ear.

"Hello, mother," she said. She pulled her scroll back at her mother's loud, shrewish voice.

"Why haven't you called me, Pyrrha? Why didn't you let me know that you were competing again?" Her mother demanded. Pyrrha put her scroll back to her ear, her brow knitted in annoyance.

"I missed you too, mother."

"Don't get sassy with me, Pyrrha. You run off to that hick Kingdom and don't even call me to let me know when you've arrived there, or let me know how you are doing, and I find out you're fighting in Tournaments again without letting me be there."

 _I mean it's not like you have my number, you could have called me any time you wanted._

"I've been busy, mother. I'm part of a team now, I-"

"Yes, yes, I saw. Jupiter or something like that."

"Juniper." Pyrrha corrected.

"Right." Her mother snorted. "You've gotten very sloppy since you left; you took so many hits in that fight, Pyrrha, and the one before? Ugh, just a disgrace." Pyrrha frowned. "Have you been following the exercise routines I had you doing when you were in Mistral?"

"No, mother."

"No wonder you had such a hard time in those matches." Pyrrha closed her eyes, sighing in exasperation.

"Did you need something?"

"Yes. I need you to win. To let the people back home know that you are still the best." Pyrrha sighed, and held her scroll in front of her, her thumb resting above the 'end call'. "Did you hear me, Pyrrha?"

"I did, mother." She hit the button, ending the call.

She rested her head against the wood railing of the stall, shutting her eyes.

 **And that's it!**


	38. Never Miss a Beat

**And here's the next chapter! Not too different from the source episode, and I would have had it out sooner but the newest episode of V5 broke me :"D. I hope you all enjoy this regardless!**

They ran from her, vaulting over the slick boulders of the mountainous biome of the arena. Penny moved with her blades, smirking as she showed off her form for the crowd, and hurled her swords towards the boulders Russel and Sky had taken cover behind. The blades buried themselves into the rock, her wires a shimmer in the air. She looked back at Ciel, noting the bored look on her face. Ciel holstered her pistol, and pointed at her watch, mouthing _finish them._ Penny nodded, and looked back at her opponents, her smirk growing.

She raised her arms, the boulder's rising with her movements. She heard them scream as they were raised into the air. She jumped, throwing her arms down as she landed; the boulders were flung into the air, Sky and Russel falling off and hitting the ground, before they came crashing down on top of them. The boulder's shattered, rock and gravel being flung across the arena as the duo lay on the ground groaning in pain.

Her sword's returned to her, collapsing and reeling into her storage compartment in her back. Penny gave her opponents a curtsy.

"And with that double knockout, Penny and Ciel of CMPT win the match for Atlas!" Oobleck declared.

The crowd started to cheer for them, and she waved politely as she exited the arena.

* * *

Ruby leapt from her seat, dashing down the steps, a smile on her face. She had to miss Penny's first fight but oh gods was she great in this one; those two hadn't stood a chance against her.

She skid to a halt, watching Penny walk along her partner. She threw her arms in the air as she exclaimed

"Penny!"

Penny looked back at her, smiling, and pounced. Penny crashed into her, knocking her off her feet, the two of them landing on the floor in a heap. Ruby giggled, hugging Penny as she nuzzled the side of her face.

"You were great out there, Penny."

"I told you I was combat ready," Penny said.

Ruby heard someone clear their throat, and Penny glanced back, Ruby craning her neck to see as well. Penny's partner had her arms crossed, and was tapping her foot in annoyance. Penny got off of her, and offered a hand. Ruby took it and was pulled to her feet. She gave Penny's partner a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of her head.

"Sorry about that," she said. Penny held a hand out, motioning at her partner.

"Ruby, this is-"

"Ciel Soleil." Ciel cut in. "And you're Ruby Rose. Fifteen years old, native Valian, leader of Team RWBY, and the significant other of Penny Polendina." Ruby gave her a look.

"How did-?" Ciel seemed to ignore her, looking at her watch.

"Penny, I think it is time for us to move along. Mauve and Tenné are waiting for us at the fairgrounds. You will have time to converse with your girlfriend at a later point today." Penny looked from Ciel to her.

"Can I have just one minute to talk with Ruby?" Ciel frowned, but nodded, stepping back. Ruby leaned towards Penny, speaking in a lowered voice.

"Sooo, is she your friend? Or?"

"Kind of. She's a bit like Blake, if Blake was forced to hang out with you." Ruby nodded.

"Ah, gotcha." She looked over at Ciel, who was watching her watch. "Is she a robot too? And I've been meaning to ask, when did you get a team?" Penny giggled, placing a hand over her lips.

"No, she is not a robot. Mauve informed me that she has a disorder called Asperger's. I am not sure what that means though." Penny rocked back and forth on her heels. "And after I informed Mr. Ironwood about wanting to compete, he informed me that he managed to find a team that was missing a team member, and could enroll me in Atlas Academy as a member of that team." Penny stopped. "I have talked with Mr. Ironwood and he is okay with me staying here in Vale, with you, after the Vytal Festival ends."

"Really? Penny, that's awesome!" Ruby paused. "But wait, does that mean you don't _ever_ want to go back to Atlas? Won't you miss your dad or the General?" Penny took a few seconds as she mulled it over.

"I love my father very much, but I would rather not return to isolation. And I have Mr. Ironwood's scroll number, I can contact him whenever I want to."

Ciel stepped between them, holding her watch in front of Penny's face.

"It has been precisely one minute, ma'am. We must be off." Ciel turned on her heels and began to leave. Penny gave her an apologetic smile before following after Ciel. She turned and waved bye, and Ruby waved back.

Ruby smiled, and began to walk back to her seat, a spring her step. It hadn't really occurred to her that there was a possibility that Penny could leave after the Festival was over, but knowing they wouldn't have to be separated for the foreseeable future made her feel so light.

"The next match is scheduled to begin in fifteen minutes. If you are low on snacks, now is the time to go to the concession stand." Oobleck said over the loudspeaker. Ruby took her seat, getting comfortable. She was looking forward to this fight.

* * *

Weiss gripped her sword's handle as Yang stretched next to her. The audience was loud, talking as the last few minutes ticked away.

"You're from Atlas, what should we expect?" Yang asked, stretching her legs.

"Given how militarized our Academy is and how integral the military is in our society, I'm going to say we will be facing strict, specialized fighters, who have carefully rehearsed battle strategies and are able to communicate battle commands on a way we can't. On top of having access to the most powerful weaponry available on Remnant."

"And it looks like Flynt and Neon are entering the arena! Let's see how well they perform against Ms. Xiao Long and Ms. Schnee!"

Yang stopped stretching, her mouth falling open. Weiss looked at her in confusion before following her line of sight.

A pale cat Faunus with bright orange pigtails with rainbow streaks stood on the other side of the arena. She was dressed for a rave and wore roller-skates, glow light nunchaku's in hand. A finely dressed man with dark skin stood next to her, smirking. He had a trombone.

"Or we'll be fighting them." Weiss said looking at Yang.

"Hey!" A voice called out. Weiss looked over to see Flynt had lowered his sunglasses, looking at her. He smiled when she looked at him. "You're _Weiss_ Schnee, right? Heiress to the SDC?"

"I am," Weiss said. He motioned to her sword, at the Dust vials in her guard.

"Must be pretty good at using Dust then, right?" Weiss rolled her shoulders, looking away with a smile. No need to gloat about her skills.

"I try to be," she said. He nodded his head.

"Nice. My dad was good at it too. Folks at his school thought he was some kind of Dust prodigy. He even opened his own little Dust shop back home in Mantle once he had the support. Did pretty good." His smile disappeared, replaced with a glower. "Till your daddy ran him out of business for trying to compete against him."

Weiss flinched, her heart dropping. The Faunus weren't her father's only victims.

"I'm… I'm sorry to hear that, Flynt." She said. He snorted, sliding his glasses back up.

"Sure you are."

Yang growled, stepping forward.

"Listen pal, Weiss-"

"Listen pal, Weiss-" Neon said in a mockingly high pitched tone. She giggled as Yang looked over at her in confusion. "Do you know how stupid you sound? Trying to defend some spoiled brat like her? That's what it sounds like." Neon smirked. "And quick question; where'd ya get your hair extensions?" Yang was taken back, running a hand through her golden blonde locks.

"I don't have any extensions?" she said. Neon nodded, resting her hand on her chin.

"I see, I see. So you just like having your hair look that trashy?"

"Excuse me?!" Yang balled her hands into fists. Weiss grabbed her shoulder, holding her back as Neon snickered. "Like you're one to talk, you rainbow haired bitch! Who wear's roller skates in a fight?" Neon slid back and forth on her skates, resting her hands on her hips.

"Jealous much? I'm guessing you don't get to skate much. Ya know, with how huge your tits are. Must make you very top heavy." Weiss could feel heat radiating off of Yang. Neon stopped, thinking again. "Are those real by the way? They look too perky to be real."

The ground around the arena gave way; Weiss hadn't even noticed the holographic displays start spinning. A desert, geyser field, magma field, and crumbling city rose up, the ground shaking as they settle into place. Weiss drew her sword, scowling as Port counted down.

"Begin!"

Flynt put his trombone to his lips, an ear splittingly loud and funky tune blasting out. Winds buffeted her, her jacket billowing around her, her sleeves being blown up. She grit her teeth, crouching down, summoning a glyph to hold her in place. Yang held her hands in front of her, struggling to keep her ground. There was a rainbow blur and Yang screamed as she was knocked off her feet, flying back. Flynt stopped, the wind and funk dying as he lowered his instrument. He smirked at her as she stood up.

Weiss leapt towards him, throwing a glyph onto the ground as she landed. The winds and tunes hit her as she landed. She pushed forward, placing a glyph with each step, the winds getting stronger and the music louder with each step.

The winds died, and Weiss went flying forward, yelping in surprise. Flynt's leg shot forward, kicking her in the back. She crashed through a pillar of Red Dust, ember's sparking around her as she came crumbling to the igneous floor.

* * *

Yang staggered to her feet, annoyed. Neon zoomed past her, sticking her tongue out as she went by. Yang chased after her, firing her gauntlets at her. Neon dodged them, swooping and grinding through the wreckage of the city.

Neon jumped from a toppled building, whacking Yang in the side with her nunchaku. Yang grunted, turning to try and swing at her as Neon zoomed past her, hitting her again. Yang threw a punch, Neon ducking underneath it, a flash of bright blue and a cold breeze passing Yang's leg. Yang tried to turn, gasping as the cold crept up her leg. She glanced down, ice encasing her calf. She looked back up as Neon skated nearby, laughing. Neon smacked her rear as she skated past Yang.

"Now you're bottom heavy, too!"

Yang snarled, stomping her foot into the ground, the ice shattering. Neon smirked, and charged her. Yang swung at her, grunting as Neon spun around her fist, ice encasing her fist as Neon swung her nunchaku. Neon skated away, grinding on a railing, flicking her off with a smirk before she leapt off the rail, skating through the crumbled buildings before charging at her again. Yang raised her ice encrusted fist, grunting in pain as Neon jumped and kicked in the gut, knocking her back and hitting a wall.

Neon's tail flicked as Neon skated, giggling.

"Need to cool off, Yang? Since you're so hot?" Neon twirled her blue nunchaku, smirking. Yang scowled, and slammed her icy fist against the wall, the ice breaking off.

* * *

Weiss rose to her feet, pulling the trigger as Flynt strode towards her. She summoned several glyphs, stabbing her sword into them, the glyphs turning ice blue. Icicles shot out of the glyphs, aimed at Flynt. Flynt stopped in front of a geyser, a devilish smirk on his lips. Lava shot out of the geyser, her icicles melting, mist springing forth. They geyser died down, and Flynt walked through the mist, raising his trombone.

"Too bad all that money couldn't buy you any skills."

She snarled, pulling the trigger. White. He put the trombone to his lips, and Weiss raised her sword. A twister sprang from her blade, colliding with Flynt's tunes. Weiss smirked as she raised her hand, her glyphs encircling them. She pulled the trigger, Blue, and leapt out of the way of the winds, landing on her glyph. She was launched towards him, stabbing at him while icicles were launched from her other glyphs. She pounced from glyph to glyph, jabbing at him as she passed him, her ice crashing into him. He grunted in pain, and ducked down; she shot above his head. He rose up; his body flickered as three other Flynt's appeared, their suits each a different color. She gasped, leaping from the glyph and to a new one as they all blew on their trombones. The glyph she had been on disintegrated, shredded by the winds. They turned to her, the jazzy gales hitting her like a truck. She felt her glyph shatter beneath her and get flung back, slamming into the ground.

"Ho ho! Looks like Ms. Schnee has run into Flynt Coals semblance!"

"Indeed she has! Flynt's notorious Killer Quartet!"

* * *

Neon skated up a ramp, somersaulting off the end of it and landing with a twirl. Yang leapt off the ramp, her hair smoldering. Neon bit her lip.

"Ooo, you look good with red eyes." She smirked. "I guess it's true that people look hotter when they're mad." Yang charged her, yelling

"Shut up!"

* * *

Weiss groaned, and crawled towards her sword. She reached for the handle when a dress shoe stomped down on the blade. She looked up to see Flynt towering over her. Flynt looked away from her, and Weiss looked over to see Yang trying to fight Neon. Neon was ducking around Yang's swings, smirking at how angry Yang was. Neon looked over at them, locking eyes with Flynt. He smirked, stepping off her blade, his Killer Quartet appearing alongside him. Neon dodged one of Yang's hooks, skating away from her. The Quarter raised their trombones. Weiss' eyes darted to the geyser in front of Flynt, she could see the magma bubbling. She sprang to her feet, tackling Flynt into the lava as the geyser shot into the air.

* * *

A buzzer sounded, and Yang's head snapped over to the scoreboard; Weiss was grayed out, a question mark over Flynt's portrait.

"I think we might be looking at a double knockout on our hands!" Port boomed.

"Ms. Schnee's semblance is completely depleted! She sacrificed herself to save Yang!" Oobleck gasped. "What's this?"

The smoke from the lava geyser began to clear; Weiss lay on the magma encrusted floor, her clothes blackened, singed, and soot covering her face and hair. Flynt staggered forward, coughing. Yang sneered, looking over at the scoreboard; the question mark faded, his semblance bar a sliver over 'knockout' requirements. Damn it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Flynt Coal remains standing!"

Flynt strode forward, his confidant gait returning as he walked towards her. Neon rolled past her, circling Flynt with a toothy grin. Yang looked at Weiss, at her still body. Her blood started to boil, her body on fire. She balled her hands into fists, gnashing her teeth as she stared at them. She slammed her foot into the ground, the arena floor shattering, her hair bursting into flames as she screamed. They were gonna fucking pay.

"And Ms. Xiao Long is getting fired up!"

Fear flashed through Neon and Flynt's faces as she charged at them, screaming like an animal.

"Get her, Neon!" Flynt shouted.

Yang fired, shotgun blasts shattering the arena floor, gravel spraying and cracks spider webbing. Neon skated toward her, zig zagging over the holes she had shot into the floor. Yang grunted as winds ripped around her, her hair whipping with the gale. She snarled, and slammed her foot into the floor. Flynt's eyes widened in shock as she walked towards him, slamming her foot through the concrete with each step.

Neon zoomed past her, smacking her side with her nunchaku. Yang grabbed Neon by her shirt, growling as she spun and hurled Neon away. Yang turned back to Flynt, glowering at him. The winds moved away from her, Flynt turning and using the winds to soften Neon's fall. Big mistake.

Yang shot forward, yelling as she slammed her fist into his face; his trombone going flying. He collapsed, the ringer buzzing as his aura crackled around him. Yang turned and saw Neon struggling through the geyser field, struggling on the wet, rocky surface. Yang sprinted towards Neon.

Neon, terrified, twirled her arms as she tried to keep her balance as she hit a rock, landing in a geyser as it erupted. She was flung into the air with the water, and Yang leapt into the air, catching Neon, locking her arms around her. Yang screamed in fury, Neon in fear, as Yang suplexed Neon into the rock floor, shattering the rocks, water spraying into the air.

The buzzer sounded, Neon groaning in pain as her aura shimmered. Yang let go of her, stepping away, breathing hard. The crowd erupted in cheers and applause, Port and Oobleck talking over one another.

Yang ignored the camera's flying up to film her; they didn't matter. Yang ran to where she lay, scooping her up into her arms. She cradled Weiss in her arms, trying to slow her racing heartbeat.

"Weiss? Are you okay?" Weiss' eyes fluttered open, the ice blue of her eyes standing out against her gray ash covered skin. Weiss coughed, her body shaking.

"I don't think I'll be able to sing for a while," she said, her voice hoarse and quiet. Yang smiled, gently hugging Weiss.

"Thanks for saving my ass," she said quietly.

"Yo!" Yang turned, holding Weiss' head so she could see as well. Neon and Flynt stood in the center of the arena, their arms crossed. Their solemn expressions broke when they looked at them, smirking at them. Flynt nodded his head, taking off his hat as he caught Weiss' eye. "That was a gutsy move, Schnee." He put his hat back on. "I can dig it."

"And oh my gods, you two were just amazing! No hard feelings for all the name calling right? Cause I would looooove to party with you two sometime!" Yang shrugged, and looked at Weiss. She gave the two of them a smile.

"I wouldn't mind," she said.

Yang opened her mouth to answer but closed it as she heard people running towards them. She looked up to see Blake and Ruby running towards them. Blake fell to her knees, holding onto Weiss. She ignored the tug at her heart as Weiss focused on Blake.

"Nice job you two!" Ruby said.

"Don't be so reckless next time," Blake said, nuzzling Weiss. Weiss laughed sheepishly, before starting to cough again.

* * *

The elevator door slid open, and Ozpin's chair turned to face him. Qrow stepped out of the elevator, taking a sip from the coffee he had brought for Ozpin. Qrow stopped in front of his desk, setting the coffee mug down in front of Ozpin. Ozpin looked at it, slightly annoyed, before picking it up and sipping from it. Qrow crossed his arms.

"The candidate we chose, you're sure she'll get the job done?" he asked. Ozpin shook his head.

"Maiden's choose themselves, we're just presenting the opportunity to her. But yes, I do believe she will do her duty as a Maiden." Ozpin gently shook his cup in a circular motion, the coffee swirling inside.

"Why her?" Qrow asked.

"Out of all the candidates I sifted through, she seemed the best fit for the job. She's strong, talented, intelligent, caring, and from what I can tell, accustomed to loneliness. She's our best hope." He said.

"You think she'll be ready when we tell her?" Ozpin turned in his chair, facing the green windows of his office.

"She'll have to be."

 **And that's it! Like what I did in V2, there's gonna be a little pause in the main story with 4 original chapters (resolving some of the new plot threads introduced) before returning to the main plot, and then we get to get to the real fun parts of V3.**


	39. Assurance

**And here's the next chapter! The wait for the new ep of V5 is killing me :"D**

Coco stood before the Doctor's door, her arms hanging at her side, shadow's casting over the door. She sighed and knocked on it.

"Come in!" a voice called from behind the door.

She opened the door, holding up a hand in greeting. Doctor Duerf looked up from the paper he was reading, giving her a smile. He motioned for her to take the seat in front of his desk.

"Nice to see you, Coco. How can I help you?"

She sat in the chair, crossing her legs and resting her arm behind the chair. She looked around the office. It was brightly lit, the walls a soft shade of beige. She inhaled, held the breath, and then exhaled as she looked at him. His face was warm, his gray white hair receding. His eyes were hazel behind his round glasses; his skin ebony.

"My team thinks I need help," she finally said. Duerf set the paper down, folding his hands on his desk.

"What kind of help, Coco?" he asked gently.

"They think I'm going crazy." She said. His face remained comforting, no judgement in his eyes.

"What makes them think that?" She sighed, readjusting herself in her seat. She rested her hands in her lap.

"During my fight in the doubles round, when I was in the forest with Emerald. I… I saw something that wasn't really there."

"What did you see?"

"My teammate, Yatsuhashi. I heard him walking up behind me and saw him when I turned around. When I looked at the scoreboard and saw he was knocked out I couldn't see him anymore."

Duerf rubbed his chin.

"I see." He watched her for a moment. "How did the initiation test go for you?"

"My team holds the record for the fastest completion of it."

"I know, Coco. It was very impressive. But, how did it go for you? Is there anything that happened in that hour that you still think about?" Coco looked away.

She struggled against her parachute, screaming, trying to unsling her purse, the strap stuck on a branch. The boy below her screamed in pain, a Beowolf ripping his sword from his hand as another wolf bit down on his neck. His screams became gurgled cries as his aura broke, the wolf's jaws sinking into his neck. It ripped back, tearing his throat open. The wolves tore into him, ripping off his limbs, ripping open his stomach. Coco yanked her purse free, the strap snapping, and her Gatling gun springing out.

"Coco?" She shook her head, looking at Duerf. "Are you okay?" he asked, concerned. She rested her hands on her knees.

"Yeah, I was just…" she sighed. She shook her head. "During the test I got stuck in a tree. I was calling for help, for someone to come cut me down, and this boy showed up." She snorted. "He barely looked old enough to be there. He had a sword with him so he was going to climb up and cut me down." She squeezed her knees, feeling tears well. "The Grimm showed up. He managed to kill one of them but he was fighting an entire pack of beo's. They tore him apart limb from limb, they started eating him. Right in front of me. And all I could do was watch because my stupid gun was stuck on a branch." She looked up at him, feeling the tears slide down her cheeks. "He was supposed to be my partner instead of Velvet. None of my team knows that. I ran into Velvet at the castle, and we hauled ass to that Dust forsaken hill Oz was at."

Duerf's lips parted.

"I see." He reached for a box of tissues on his desk, offering one to her. She shook her head, sniffing. He left the tissue near her. "Headmaster Ozpin has also given your team personal missions. Have you experienced anything similar to that while out on them?" She nodded. She scooted her chair back, yanking her pant leg free of her boots. She rolled her pant leg up and set her leg on the desk, the scars clearly visible.

"Last mission I was on for Ozpin I got ambushed by an Ursa. I couldn't get my gun out in time and it broke my aura with one swing. It knocked me down and I was trying to crawl away when it bit into my leg. It tore it open, and if Velvet hadn't shown up when she did it would have killed me." She ran her hand over the scars, wincing a bit. "Sorrel says my aura was able to fix most of it but I'll be stuck with leg pains for the rest of my life." She lowered her leg from the desk.

"You fought in the Breach, didn't you?" he asked. She nodded. "What did you feel going into that?"

"I was scared shitless. I had to tell myself throughout it that I could handle it. And I couldn't let my team or the freshmen see me looking afraid, I have an image to uphold." He nodded.

"Have you taken up any habits since joining Beacon?" he asked.

"Yeah." She hesitated before she pulled the pack of cigarettes from her pocket. She set it on the desk, gripping her knees as Duerf looked at the pack.

"Any other habits? This is just between you and me, I won't out you to the police or to Ozpin." He said. She sighed.

"I started drinking as well. It started out just as something I would do for fun with the team but I uh. I'm doing it a lot more now." She shook her head. "Velvet keeps nagging about how much I drink, like I'm some kind of alcoholic."

"I see." He said. He slid the cigarettes back to her. "How have you been sleeping?" he asked.

"I don't get a lot of sleep." She said. He nodded his head, closing his eyes. He rested his hand on his chin, thinking. Coco fidgeted as she watched him.

"We done playing twenty questions?" she asked. He chuckled, and opened his eyes.

"We are, Coco."

"So what's the verdict, you shipping me to a looney bin?" He shook his head with a comforting smile.

"Of course not, Coco. It sounds to me like you have a form of post-traumatic stress disorder. And that you are abusing substances to cope." Her shoulders slumped. "What you saw in the tournament was most likely a stress induced hallucination."

"Will it happen again?" she asked.

"It's a possibility." He adjusted his glasses. "It is ultimately your decision, but I would think that it is best if we were to start a counseling session. I won't force you to, but I think that it would greatly help you. And that the next time Ozpin asks you to go out on a mission for him, decline it. You are just a student, you can't be going out on missions meant for Hunters." She sighed.

"If you think this will help me, then fine." He smiled. She stood up, heading to the door. "I'll clear out some space in my schedule to stop by." She grabbed the door handle, and looked back at him. She smiled. "Thanks, Doc." He nodded at her.

"Anytime, Coco." He said.

She opened the door, stepping out into the hallway. The door clicked shut behind her. She smiled as she stood in the hallways light.

* * *

Penny kicked her legs in the air as she watched Yang change into her gym clothes.

"The one on one rounds are soon, aren't they?" Penny asked.

"Yep! And there's no way I'm gonna lose." She started putting stuff into her gym bag. "But I gotta train until then, those two almost beat me and I don't want to make it this far just to lose it." Yang zipped up the gym bag, slinging it over her shoulder. She looked back at Penny with a mischievous grin. "Ruby's birthday is coming up, you have anything special planned for her?"

"I am not sure honestly. She does not seem to have very many material needs and I do not have any money." Yang went to the door, talking to her as she left.

"Well, I'm sure Ruby would love it if you made something for her. She's always liked those types of presents more." The door clicked behind her.

Penny laid down on the bed, her arms hanging off the sides. A present that she made for her…

She gasped in pain, clutching her head, squeezing her eyes shut.

" _Do you like it? I made it myself."_

 _"I love it! Thank you so much!"_

She rolled around the bed, squeezing her hands against her head, the pain increasing.

" _How did you make it?"_

 _"I took a piece of wood and used this." The sound of a blade being pulled out. "To make it into that rose."_

The pain subsided, and Penny slowly opened her eyes, lowering her arms. She blinked.

She knew that voice.

* * *

Weiss gnashed her teeth, sweat dripping down her face. The glyph spun faster and faster until a sword tip rose from the glyph. Weiss gasped-

\- and the glyph shattered.

She groaned in annoyance, stomping her foot. She heard Winter clap, and she looked over at her sister. Winter was beaming at her.

"Well done, Weiss!" Winter said. Weiss wiped the sweat off her face with her sleeve.

"I didn't summon it completely, how is it that praise worthy?" she asked. Winter came to her side, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"You didn't summon it completely, but you're making progress. And that's what's important. You're taking to this faster than I did." Winter's hand slid off her shoulder. "Now let's take a break, I think you've earned it."

* * *

Blake wandered around the fairgrounds aimlessly. There were some interesting weapon and food stalls but she wasn't having any luck finding a book stall. Vendors from every corner of the world and not a single one thought to sell books. She stopped when she saw a familiar set of brown rabbit ears.

"Velvet!" Blake called. Velvet looked up from the camera she was inspecting, grimacing for a split second before smiling and waving at her. Blake frowned as she walked over to Velvet's side. "You feeling okay?"

"I'm fine, why do you ask?" Velvet asked, going back to inspecting the camera.

"You didn't look to happy to see me." Velvet shrugged.

"Sorry, I was busy looking at these. I was just annoyed at being interrupted." She said.

"You going to buy any of these, rabbit, or are you just here to scare off paying customers?" The stall owner asked. Velvet set the camera down, annoyed, and walked away from the stall. The stall owner looked at Blake. "Damn Faunus. How can I help you, ma'am?" he asked. Blake scowled at him and spat on his stall, the stall owner shouting in surprise, before turning and leaving.

She caught up to Velvet as she stormed off.

"That guy was a jerk." Blake said. Velvet stopped, spinning on her heels to face Blake.

"And yet if I wasn't there you never would have known that." she said. Blake was taken back. Her ears being held in place as she tried to flatten them.

"What?" Velvet jabbed a finger at Blake's bow.

"I really appreciate what you did for me against Cardin last semester but I'd rather not associate with a…" Velvet's eyes lingered on her bow, the word dying on her tongue. Blake balled her hand into a fist, snarling.

"Go on. Say it. Call me it."

"A _vaara_." Velvet said.

 _Vaara_. Those who reject Devi's blessing; a Faunus who wants to be human.

Velvet crossed her arms.

"When Coco invited you all to our room for drinks I was going to ask you why you hid your ears but I know the answer now." Blake glowered at her. "You're really friendly with Weiss. With a _Schnee_. You know, the girl whose family makes that man look like Coco." Velvet snorted. "You hide your ears because you don't want to be a Faunus. You're ashamed of our heritage; you can't handle the persecution. You want to be one of them." Blake jabbed her finger in Velvet's face.

"You have no idea what kind of torment the humans put me through. You have no idea what Weiss is like. I hide my ears because I want to be treated like a person for the first time in my life." Velvet snorted.

"So passing as human makes you a person, huh?"

Blake narrowed her eyes before turning and storming off.

* * *

Yang raised a hand as she entered the gym; Sterling, Drey, Violet, and Jet were waiting for her. Drey waved at her.

"Thanks again for wanting to help me train," she said.

"No problem, Yang." Sterling said. Violet brushed a strand of hair behind her ear before saying

"Think of it as being our way of saying sorry for flaking on you so much lately." Jet nodded in agreement.

"We've been really busy with our own stuff, and you've been busy being a hero so we haven't gotten a lot of time to hang out since we got here." Drey said. She pumped a fist in the air, smirking at her. "So no holding back when we train! We want you to win!"

Yang nodded; it was good to be with them again.

* * *

Ruby opened the door, looking over her shoulder with a smile as she said

"Thank you, Doctor Sorrell!" she stepped forward, and yelped in surprise when she hit something. She stepped back, clutching her medicine against her chest. "Sorry, I was-" she cocked her head to the side. "Jaune?"

He looked at the medicine bag clutched against her chest, and looked at her quizzically.

"Are you sick, Ruby?"

"Huh? Oh no, I was uh." She hid her medicine behind her back. "Why are you here?" she asked. Jaune stuffed his hands into his hoodie's pockets, looking around.

"You're my friend, right, Ruby? No matter what?" he asked. Ruby nodded.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" He chewed on his lips, and leaned forward, speaking in her ear. She gasped in surprise, dropping her medicine, clapping her hands to her cheeks. "You're-!" he nodded, looking away from her.

"Is that a problem?" he asked. Ruby shook her head, a smile stretching across her face.

"I am too!" He looked at her in surprise, his eyes widening.

* * *

Jaune stirred the straw in his drink, Ruby sipping from her strawberry lemonade. The air was frigid, people chatting around them as they ate at a food stall.

"So does anyone in your team know?" she asked. He shook his head, grabbing a fry and eating it slowly. "Do you plan on telling them soon?" He shrugged.

"I don't know. I told Pyrrha I'm not comfortable doing anything physical and she told me she's willing to wait as long as she needs to but I'm worried about what her reaction will be when she finds out when we _do_ try something. Nora and Ren I don't think will care; Ren might even know since I think he saw my binder when I was trying out some of the dresses we wore to the dance." He smiled. "Ren really rocked that qipao he picked out." Ruby cocked her head to the side.

"Were you comfortable wearing a dress?" she asked.

"Sorta. Ren wanted our team to wear matching outfits but that kinda fell apart when we got there and saw all the different kinds of dresses they had. I would have preferred a suit but I didn't want to ruin their fun."

"Is Ren…?" He shook his head.

"Nah." Ruby pouted and picked up a fry, drowning it in ketchup before eating it.

"Does your family know? I remember you having short hair in that family photo you showed me." He shook his head.

"I never told them." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I grew my hair out after that photo. And I cut it before I came here."

"Is that why you haven't talked to them?" she asked. He shrugged again, eating a fry.

"That's a part of it. I didn't have a good relationship with my dad, and I uh… I kinda ran away from home when I came here. So I don't think it'll go well if I call them." He looked at her.

"How about you? You're team know?" She nodded.

"I told them after the dance."

"And?" She smiled.

"They were completely okay with it. So was Penny. My dad and Uncle know too, and Doctor Sorrell." She picked up a fry, ketchup dripping onto the table. "I think you should tell your team, I'm sure they'll be okay with it. And maybe you can call Dijon or Aurélie and check up with them. I'm sure they might have figured it out since you were on tv for the Tournament." Jaune's eyes widened.

"Craaaap. I never thought about them seeing me on tv." He placed his hands on his face, groaning. And it had been his idea to fight in it to begin with. "I'm so dead if I call home." Ruby's face darkened.

"Like, literally, dead? Would your family disown you?" He shook his head.

"I have no idea. My dad didn't like me because I was too weak to be a Hunter. He wanted me to be like Dijon and I couldn't be like her."

"And you're sisters?" she asked.

"We got along. But I'd still be worried." Ruby stirred her drink, looking at the pink liquid.

"If they reject you, you know that you'll have me, right?" she asked. Jaune's hands slid off his face. He gave her a weak smile.

"Thanks, Ruby." She smiled back.

"Any time, Jaune."

 **And that's it!**


	40. A Pair of Dolts

**And here's the next chapter. A lot shorter than I thought it would be. And V5 is amazing, and I have no idea what I'm gonna do for the ending episodes of it :"D. Oh yeah, I'm having a cover image for this fic made and I recently received the sketch. It looks great and I can't wait to share the finished version!**

 **Oh and for those curious as to why there is so much LGBT+ content in this fic ¯\\_(ツ** **)_/¯. RWBY has LGBT+ content in canon, people who work on it are in the LGBT+ community, and so are a lot of fans. I just made the LGBT elements more prominent like I did the racism and abuse and mental trauma.**

She lowered Penny's scroll, smiling as she collapsed it and handed it to her.

"Do you think she is going to like it, Yang?" Penny asked. Yang nodded.

"It was really sweet, Penny." She rested her hand on her hip. "Do you know what you want Ruby to get for your birthday? Er." Penny's expression fell. "Do you have a birthday?" Penny shook her head.

"Mr. Ironwood would give me gifts on the seventeenth of March but I do not remember the day that I was constructed. My father did not celebrate his or my birthday." Yang grimaced.

"Well that sucks." She pursed her lips. "Well March seventeenth is as good of a day as any. I'll make sure we throw you a birthday party next semester." Penny perked up.

"Really?" Yang nodded.

"Yeah! Weiss and I can plan it; I know she would love that." Penny threw her arms around Yang, squeezing her as she hugged her.

"Thank you, Yang!" Yang patted her on the head as she hugged her. Penny let her go and stepped back. "Now if you will excuse me, I have some business to attend to." Yang held back a laugh; a serious Penny was hard to take serious. Penny turned to the door and left the room.

Yang sat down on her bed, stretching her arms before flopping down. Weiss said she would be back from the library in a little bit. She rested her hand over her heart, sighing contently. Blake was out with Ruby, she would get to hang out with Weiss alone for the first time since the dance. Weiss just wanted to read, some type of research, but still, they would be alone together.

Yang smiled.

* * *

Ruby felt her scroll vibrate and stopped as she fished it out of her dresses pocket. Blake looked back at her as she opened her scroll. She smiled as she saw who the text was from; Penny. She opened the text; it was a video. The thumbnail was Penny was standing in front of their bookshelf in their room.

 _Do not watch this until your birthday_ was the next text. Ruby pouted, her thumb hovering over the video, curiosity killing her. Nah, she couldn't watch it now. It's not what she wants.

Ruby pocketed her scroll, looking up at Blake.

"Who was it?" Blake asked.

"Penny. She sent me a birthday video." Blake cocked an eyebrow.

"Isn't your birthday next week? After the tournament is over?" Ruby nodded.

"Yeah. She made it early." Ruby looked around them, at the various stalls. Nothing interesting. "What do you wanna do?" she asked.

Blake began to look around them at the various stalls, unsure, indecision on her face.

* * *

Ironwood dipped the cloth in the bottle of gun oil as he cleaned his pistol. He hadn't needed to use it in a while, but there was no need to let his equipment fall into disarray.

There was a soft knocking at his door, and he turned in his chair to look at the door of his quarters; Torchwick's guards hit the door harder than that. He reassembled his pistol, holstering it as he went to the door. He pressed the button, and the door slid open.

"Penny?" She was standing in front of the door, playing with her hands. She looked nervous.

"Hello, Mr. Ironwood. May I come in?" she asked. He nodded, stepping out of the doorway.

"Of course."

She entered the room, looking around, her eyes darting over the barren room. Penny hesitated before she sat on the bed, creating creases in the otherwise immaculate bed. She looked at the floor, her hands in her lap as she continued to play with them. Ironwood raised an eyebrow.

"Is everything alright, Penny?" he asked. Penny shook her head.

"Something strange has been happening to me, Mr. Ironwood." She interlocked her fingers, closing her hands. "After I see or think about certain things my head starts to hurt. And then I get…" She frowned. "They are like memories, only without the visual component. I can hear two voices talking about whatever it was that I was looking or thinking about. And once the 'memory' fades the headache goes away and I feel better." She took a breath. "I recognize one of the voices as my own." She looked up at him. "And the other voice is yours."

Ironwood clenched his jaw; was this possible?

"You must have been dreaming." Penny shook her head.

"No, Mr. Ironwood, I was very much awake. And my dreams are of cute things, like sheep or flowers or Ruby. My dreams don't bring me pain like those memories do." Penny cocked her head to the side. "Mr. Ironwood… what is wrong with me?"

He clenched his gloved hand, his jaw tightening.

"Penny. Has Doc-" he stopped, closing his eyes. "Has your father ever told you how you were created?" He opened his eyes. Penny eyes darted up, a finger on her chin as she thought. She shook her head finally. "You know that you were built to fight Salem, right?" She nodded. He took a deep breath. "Have you ever thought about where your soul came from?" She looked away, nodding.

"I know that I am the first synthetic humanoid to have an aura but…for a long time I wondered if my soul was real or just synthetic. But I know the answer to that now, thanks to Ruby and her friends." He swallowed, his body tense.

"Your soul belonged to a sick girl named Penelope Ironwood." Penny's body stiffened, her breath catching in her throat. She slowly looked over at him, her eyes widening, her jaw slowly dropping.

"M-my soul? It came… it came from someone else? It came from you're…" she closed her mouth. "I'm not a real person?" she shook her head, grabbing her head with her hands. "These memories are not mine? They are from this Penelope?" Ironwood looked down.

"Your body was being constructed to transfer the soul of a woman named Amber into it to battle Salem." He squeezed his eyes shut. "Penelope was precious to me; she was my only daughter. The only family I had left. And we needed to test that machine first. Penelope was dying, and I saw no other way to save her." Penny stood up, backing away from Ironwood, squeezing her head, shaking it, tears starting to run down. Ironwood stepped towards her. "Penny, those memories are yours. You _are_ Penelope." Penny shook her head.

"No. No, no, no, no! My name is Penny Polendina! My soul is my own! I am real! I have to be real!" She looked up at him in disbelief. "You were going to use me, Mr. Ironwood. This body was built for combat? I was just a weapon?" He couldn't look into her eyes as he answered.

"Yes." He heard a sob. "But I decided against that, Penny. I couldn't do that to you. I couldn't make you join a fight you didn't understand." He stared at his gloved hand, the words spilling out. "You lost all your memories after you got that body, you saw Doctor Polendina as your father, I couldn't make you fight. I couldn't risk losing you again. I lied to Ozpin, I lied to all of them. We could find someone else, I wouldn't let my little girl get hurt again." He looked up at her. She was pressed against the wall, her held hands pressed against her chest. Tears ran down her cheeks but her eyes weren't red or puffy. She gently shook her head, and hiccupped.

"I'm not your little girl." She said. A sob wracked her body before she bolted, running past him, crying.

"Penny, wait!" Ironwood shouted. He tried to grab her, swiping the air as she ran past. She ran out of the room, her voice echoing from the hallway.

"Leave me alone!" she cried.

He ran to the door, watching her turn the corner and flee. He squeezed the doorframe, feeling something warm run down his cheeks.

* * *

Penny opened the door to the dorm, her body shaking as she walked in. Yang was on her bed. Weiss was at her desk, flipping through a book. She looked up from it, her eyebrows raising in surprise when she saw her.

"Penny? Are you okay?" Penny shook her head. Ruby wasn't here. She hadn't answered her scroll. Weiss' chair scraped against the floor as Weiss stood up. "What's wrong? You look sick."

"Do you know where Ruby is? I need to speak with her." Penny said, her voice unsteady. Weiss cocked her head to the side.

"She's down at the fairgrounds with Blake. Is everything okay between the two of you?" Yang said. She nodded.

"Yes. Everything is okay." She hiccupped. "Thank you,"

She gave them a polite nod as she left.

* * *

Ruby stopped, feeling her scroll vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out, smiling. Penny was calling. Blake looked back at her as she answered the call. Ruby's body turned cold when she heard Penny crying.

"Ruby… Ruby are you there?" Penny asked, sniffing. Ruby nodded as she spoke.

"Penny, what's wrong?" Penny sniffed. She cried for a moment before mumbling something that she didn't hear. "Penny? Penny can you say that again?"

"I need you, Ruby." She hiccupped. "Please… please just come to the gardens. I need you right now." The line went dead and Ruby held out her scroll in front of her face, staring at Penny's contact picture, her heart thumping against her chest.

She pocketed her scroll as she ran, shoving people out of the way, using her semblance to boost her speed, dread coursing through her.

* * *

Penny paced back and forth, playing with her hands, her cheeks wet. She perked up at the sound of Ruby crashing through a bush, breathing hard. Ruby stumbled out of the bush, leaves and flowers stuck on her clothes as she got up.

"I came as fast as I could? What's wrong?" Penny embraced her, Ruby gasping in surprise before wrapping her arms around her. Penny buried her face in Ruby's shoulder, closing her eyes as the tears ran down.

"Please… just hold me. Tell me that I'm real. That I am a person." Ruby held her close, stroking her hair.

"You're a real girl, Penny. Nothing will ever change that." she said. Penny hiccupped, Ironwood's face appearing in her mind. She shook her head, burying her face further. Ruby stopped stroking her hair, gently rocking them as they hugged. "What brought this on?" Penny shook her head.

"I can't tell you." Ruby's embrace was so gentle.

"Okay." Ruby said. Penny felt Ruby's shoulder move, and felt Ruby's lips press against her hair. It lasted a moment before Ruby pulled back, resting her head on Penny's. "I can't say it's the same thing, Penny, but I know what it feels like to not feel like you're real. Like your body was made wrong. But you are real, Penny. We both are." Ruby's grip tightened. "I love you, Penny. Don't ever forget that."

Penny sniffled, letting Ruby gently rock her, the breeze gently blowing around them as they stood in the gardens.

 **And that's it! This chapter and the next two are a bit of an experiment that I hope comes out okay.**


	41. Mattä and Stās

**And here's the next chapter. Sorry it's so late, I haven't had a break from school or work since the last update and had some writers block with this chapter. I'm not super happy with how this came out but I hope you enjoy it!**  
 **V5 was great, and I would recommend the manga that recently got released. The cover art for Scars was finished and it looks amazing. The artist is Nilast over on tumblr. And I set up a kofi recently as well.**

"It seems we have a lot to talk about." Her mother said. Yang's lip twitched as she snarled.

"That's what you have to say to me? You're out of my life for eighteen years, and that's the first fucking thing you say to me?"

Her mother cocked an eyebrow, resting her hand on the hilt of her blade. Crows began to land on the statue behind Raven.

"And what, dear daughter, did you expect me to say to you?" she asked. Yang looked away. Her mother embracing her, telling her why she had left her, why she had abandoned her, telling her she mattered. She looked back at that woman, at her cold, unloving red eyes. Yang snorted.

"Something better than that."

"Sorry to disappoint." There was no apology in her voice. Yang crossed her arms.

"Why are you here." Her mother began to pace in front of her, gripping her sword handle as she spoke.

"I wanted to let you know that what happened on the train, saving your life, that will be the only act of kindness I give you." Yang rolled her eyes; it's the only thing she had ever done for her period. Her mother stopped, before taking stepping towards her. "I've been watching you Yang. You've seen how cruel this world is; you know how this world works."

"And how does it work, mother?" she spat the last word. Raven stopped in front of her, crossing her arms.

"Remnant is a hellhole; the weak die, and the strong survive. If you're not strong enough to live, to kill Grimm and defend yourself, then you're a waste of resources." A flicker of a smile appeared on Raven's face. She motioned to the scar on Yang's lip and pointed at the scar on her belly. "You're a fighter Yang, have been all your life. You're strong, you're a survivor." Yang frowned.

"So?" Raven looked back at Beacon, not looking at Yang as she spoke.

"Disaster is on the horizon, Yang. I can feel it in my bones." She looked back at Yang. She extended her hand. "Beacon will be destroyed, everything that you cherish will be lost. Everyone here will die. If you come with me, you will be spared that horror." Yang stared at her in confusion before shaking her head.

"How do you know this? How do I know you're not just lying?" Raven's gaze hardened.

"This is not something I would lie about."

"So you want me to abandon my team, and what? Come live with you?"

"You would be better off with me than with them, Yang. Your team is holding you back. The Faunus, the Heiress, your brother. All of them, weak and not fit to live."

Yang's eyes widened in shock, her mouth falling open. Her hair began to smolder.

"What did you say?" Her blood began to burn.

"You don't need you-"

"What. Did. You. Say." Yang balled her hands into fists. Raven chuckled, shaking her head.

"Don't tell me you actual go along with your brother's farce?" Yang's nails bit into her palm, cutting the skin. Her hair ignited, her world going red.

"Leave." She said, her voice a growl. Raven rested her hand on her sword.

"You're making a mistake, Yang." Yang shook her head, fire licking her body.

"No. I'm not." Yang glared into her eyes. Her mother glared back. "All my life I've wondered what you were like, why this amazing woman dad talked about would leave us behind. All my life I've been aimless; I had to give up everything to support my family, a family _you_ couldn't be bothered to take care of. All my life I've had no purpose other than finding you, learning why I wasn't a good enough daughter for you to stay and be my mom." She snorted. "And you know what? I don't care about any of that anymore. You are not the woman my dad told me about. I don't want someone like you, someone who thinks they can play god and decide who's worthy of life, as my mother. I don't believe you about Beacon, and I don't care what other reason you came to try and talk to me. You're dead to me, and if you come near my team, my family, I will kill you." Raven's lip curled as they glared at each other.

"You're loyalty to them will only get you killed. Just like it did Summer." Ember Celica sprang into place.

"Leave. Now."

Her mother sneered, and turned her back to her, swinging her odachi, a red and black portal appearing. Raven put her mask back on, her red eyes glaring out from the eye slits as she turned to her.

"I am not a woman you want to make an enemy of, daughter." Raven said, her voice muffled by the mask. Yang sneered.

"Neither am I, mother."

Yang opened her eyes, blinking several times as her eyes adjusted to the lights. She groaned, clutching the side of her head.

Mid-day sunlight filtered through the open window, the curtains blowing with the gentle breeze. Yang sat up, sitting on the edge of her bunk, resting her arms on her legs as she stared at the floor. She closed her hand as they rested in her lap. She sniffed.

Looking for her for so long. Finally given the chance to learn why she had left her. To show her mother how she had been strong. To have a parent tell her they love her.

And she had ruined it.

Tears slid down her cheeks, her fingers digging into her blanket. She hiccupped.

Why now?

She told herself she wouldn't let it bother her; she wouldn't let that woman get to her; she wasn't someone she needed in her life. She would never see her again, there was no need to be so upset.

She gasped when she heard the door unlock, hastily wiping at her face, hiding her tears. She flashed Weiss a winning smile as she walked in. Several books were tucked under Weiss' arms. Weiss didn't seem to notice her and set her books down at her desk. Yang's smile didn't waver.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Yang asked.

"Hm?" Weiss looked over at her, making a face as she realized she was in the room. "I thought you said you would be off doing something with Penny?"

"I already did it." She traced her hand on her blanket, looking away from Weiss' ice blue eyes. "I was going to hang out in here while you read. We uh, we haven't gotten a chance to really hang out one on one since this summer." She looked back at Weiss, holding her hands in her lap, she gave her a smile. "I thought you might like the company." Weiss hesitated before she smiled back.

"I won't mind it. As long as you're quiet." Yang forced a laugh, swinging her arm.

"You know me, Weiss. No need to worry about that."

Weiss sat at her desk, flipping through the various books. The room was quiet, the only sound the flipping of the pages. Yang played with her hands as she watched Weiss; restless.

"So um. What are you reading?" Weiss didn't look up from her page as she spoke.

"I'm trying to find out what _mattä_ means. It's Blake's name for me in her language and I want to learn what it means." Weiss paused, Yang could hear the smile on her face. "And find a name for her." Yang cocked an eyebrow.

"Can't you just look that up on your scroll?" Weiss nodded.

"I can. But I feel this is the way Blake would have done it." Yang forced another laugh, her head falling.

"Yeah… how Blake would have done it." Her head perked up as the door opened, her eyes widening in surprise.

Penny was trembling as she walked in, playing with her hands, her eyes darting around the room.

"Penny? Are you okay?" Weiss asked, shocked. Penny shook her head, avoiding their gaze. Weiss stood up, pushing her chair back. "What's wrong? You look sick."

"Do you know where Ruby is? I need to speak with her." Penny said, her voice unsteady. Weiss cocked her head to the side. Yang cocked an eyebrow, holding up a hand as she spoke.

"She's down at the fairgrounds with Blake. Is everything okay between the two of you?"

"Yes. Everything is okay." Penny hiccupped. "Thank you," she said, giving them a nod as she left.

Yang got off her bed, walking over to Weiss' side, her brow knitted in concern.

"Do you think she's okay?" she asked. Weiss shook her head.

"I don't know. What do you think is bothering her? Did her and Ruby get into a fight?" Yang held up her hands, raising her shoulders, making an 'I don't know' noise. Weiss opened her mouth to say something but closed it as gentle music began to play. She pulled out her scroll a content smile on her face as she looked at the screen. She answered, putting the scroll against her ear.

"Hi, Blake." The smile was replaced with a frown. "Slow down, what happened?"

"What happened?" Yang asked. Weiss held up a finger, listening to Blake. She looked over at Yang, moving the scroll away from her mouth.

"She said Ruby got a call from Penny and then ran off in a panic. She's all alone at the fair grounds and wanted to know if we knew what was happening." Yang shook her head. Weiss raised her scroll. "We don't know what's happening, Blake. Penny was in here a moment ago and she looked really upset and was asking for Ruby." Yang could hear Blake's voice, Weiss nodding her head as she listened to her. "I don't know." She pursed her lips as she listened to her. "Okay. Yeah, that won't be a problem." She smiled again. "Love you, too." Yang looked away as Weiss collapsed her scroll and stood up. "Blake asked me to go down to the fairgrounds and meet up with her; encase Ruby and Penny show up, so we can help them out." Yang lifted her head up, Weiss' hand rested on the door handle, she was looking back at her. "You okay waiting for her here?"

Yang nodded, forcing a smile. Weiss smiled back before leaving. Yang's expression fell as the door clicked shut. She sighed, walking over to her bed. She laid down, pulling out her scroll and flipping through the movies she had on it.

She was fine being alone. She was okay waiting for Ruby or Penny while they dealt with whatever issue they had. She was fine with Weiss hanging out with Blake nonstop. Being alone all the time was perfectly fine.

Her eyes started to water.

* * *

Weiss hurried through the dorm hallway, turning the corner sharply. She grunted as someone shoved past her. She frowned, and turned to yell at the rude jerk when she stopped. She cocked her head to the side.

"Jaune?"

He didn't seem to hear her, his head down and his hands shoved in his hoodie's pockets. He stopped in front of his dorm door and pulled out his scroll to unlock it. He hesitated, closed his eyes, sighed, and opened the door.

Weiss raised an eyebrow. Jaune wasn't usually that rude, what was wrong with him? She shrugged and started to power walk out of the dorm.

* * *

Blake paced in front of the stall, checking her scroll.

"Blake!" She looked up from her scroll to see Weiss walking over to her. Blake pocketed her scroll.

"Thanks for coming over."

"It's no problem." Weiss looked around. "Have you seen them since Ruby ran off?" She shook her head. Weiss pursed her lips. "I hope they're okay." Blake crossed her arms.

"They haven't had any problems before. And it doesn't sound like either of them were angry."

"I guess so." Weiss shrugged before looking around. "Do you want to go do something while we wait for them?" Weiss asked. Blake nodded, smiling.

"That sounds nice."

"Do you have anything in mind?" Blake nodded.

"I saw a food stall selling some kulfi. I was going to take Ruby to it when she ran off." Weiss titled her head to the side, confused.

"Kulfi?"

"It's an old Faunus dish. It's kinda like ice cream." Weiss considered it for a moment before nodding, holding out her hand.

"Lead the way." Blake smiled and slipped her hand into Weiss'.

She led Weiss through the crowd of people, noticing the shocked and odd looks people gave her. She saw some of the Faunus look at her bow, and back at Weiss before shaking their heads in disapproval. She scowled, and hurried her pace. She turned, walking around a stall and slowed to a stop, her heart dropping.

The line was long, and a familiar set of brown rabbit ears were near the back of the line. Velvet was smiling, chatting with her team mates, laughing at some joke Fox said.

 _Vaara_

She scowled and turned away, leading Weiss away from the stall. Weiss slipped her hand out, and Blake looked back at her. Weiss had stopped and was looking over at the stall.

"The line isn't that long, I'm fine with waiting." Blake rubbed her arm, her hidden emblem.

"I changed my mind. Let's go somewhere else." Weiss cocked an eyebrow, looking back over at her.

"Why? It looks like Velvet and her team are there too, we can spend time with them." She squeezed her arm, her ears pinned in place by her bow.

"I'd rather not be around them." Weiss' face darkened, a chill going down Blake's spine at the look in Weiss' eyes.

"What did they do to you? Who do I have to 'talk' to?" Blake shook her head.

"It's not their fault, Weiss. Velvet and I just uh." Blake trailed off, trying to think of how to word it.

"Just a what?" Blake sighed, glancing down at the ground.

"She thinks I'm a _vaara_." She said.

"A what?" Weiss asked. Blake closed her eyes. It was one of the worst insult's to call another Faunus.

"It translates to 'One who rejects Mother's gift'. It means a Faunus who wants to be human. Who cuts off their Faunus traits, or if they're human passing, never revealing they're Faunus to humans. Faunus who love humans and don't understand or care about the plights our people face." She looked up at Weiss. Weiss' expression had fallen, her eyes downcast. Weiss rubbed her wrist.

"Is… is it like being called a _slavosá_?" Blake nodded.

"Yes." Blake said. Weiss shook her head.

"Why would Velvet think that of you? You care about your people so much, Blake." Blake snorted, and motioned to her bow. She hesitated before pointing at Weiss. Weiss frowned, realization creeping across her face.

"Oh." She said quietly. Weiss rubbed her wrist, looking away. Weiss' voice was quiet as she spoke. "Would… would it be better for you, with the other Faunus, if… if we weren't together?" Blake's eyes shot open and she closed the gap between her and Weiss, grasping her hands. Weiss looked into her eyes. Blake held their enclosed hands in front of their faces.

"Weiss, I don't care about what they think about me. I love you. You are one of the few good thing's to ever happen in my life." She smiled. "I can take every name in the book if it means being by your side." She shook her head. "I just didn't want you to have to deal with getting harassed again." Weiss looked away. Blake tightened her grip. "I'm not a _slavosá_ , I'm not a _vaara_ , and you are not your father." Weiss scowled at the mention of her father.

"Blake I don't want people thinking you hate your own people; that you're a coward, or a traitor. That you're hiding who you are to be with me." Blake frowned before releasing their hands. She took a breath and reached up to her bow, Weiss' eyes widening. She undid her bow, her ears wiggling, glad to be free. She smiled at Weiss as she tossed the ribbon aside.

"Then maybe I should stop hiding these." Weiss bit her lip as she looked at Blake's ears.

"Is it safe for you to not wear that?" Blake nodded.

"They won't be able to get to me while I'm here, Weiss. And I was one of their best fighters, I can stop whoever they send if they do come for me." Weiss looked unsure before reaching for Blake's hand. Blake smiled, as Weiss grasped her hands, stepping towards her, centimeters apart. Weiss smiled.

"Then I'm one hundred percent behind you, my _stās_." Blake blinked in surprise; _stās_ , the majesty of the stars. "That's an okay name, right?" Weiss asked. Blake nodded, and closed her eyes as she leaned forward. She heard Weiss inhale sharply as her lips pressed against her scar; it was Blake's favorite part of Weiss' face, aside from ice blue eyes. She ended the kiss, resting her forehead on Weiss' head. A gentle purr emanated from her throat.

"I love it, _mattä_." She said. Weiss let go of her hands, embracing her, burying her face into her shoulder.

 **And that's it. Next chapter will be Jaune focused and then it's back to V3's story. _Fall_** **is already written so it's going to be a 2 for 1 next week.**


	42. Introductions and Preparations

**And here's the next chapter. Roman's part was kind of experimental and I'm not sure how well it came out (FF having crap formatting certainly isn't helping with this version of it, compared to the AO3 version), and it ended up being a lot more intense then I thought it would be. TW: Sexual Assault.**

He turned the corner, shoving past someone as he hurried to his dorm. He stopped in front of his dorm door, a bead of sweat trickling down his neck. He reached into his pocket, his hands shaking slightly as he pulled out his scroll. He closed his eyes, resting his head on the door. He took a breath before exhaling; now or never. He put his scroll to the handle, hearing it click as it was unlocked.

He nudged the door open, sighing in relief; it was still empty. He shut the door behind him, locking it, before going to his bunk. He sat down, looking at the blank screen of his scroll. He exhaled, clicking the screen, watching it come to life. He went to his contacts, his thumb hovering over Aurélie's picture. He hesitated, anxiety twisting his guts, and took a deep breath as he swiped her icon, and started typing.

"hey Auré, it's-" he stopped, balling his spare hand into a fist. He had to start it this way. "Joan. sorry i haven't talked to u in a while. ive been kinda busy" He hit send, resting his scroll on his bed. It chimed a few seconds later, and he snatched it up, his heart thumping as he opened her response.

"I thought your name was Jaune now?" He grimaced.

"howd u know?"

"You were on tv, silly." He face palmed, Ruby had been right. His scroll chimed and his hand slid off his face. "I like it J" His scroll chimed, Aurélie's contact taking up the screen. She wanted to video call. His swiped his thumb over the screen.

"Hi Jaune!" Aurélie said, waving at him.

"H-hey," he said, holding up a hand weakly. Her hair had grown out in the time he had been gone, it was pulled back into a messy ponytail. She was in the room they had shared, her back to the door.

"You look good, Jaune." She said. He rubbed the back of his head, looking away.

"Really?" She nodded, smiling reassuringly.

"I always thought you looked better with short hair." She said.

"D-does everyone know?" he asked. Aurélie nodded. Jaune swallowed. "Even dad?" Aurélie hesitated, her mouth opening and closing several times. Her head jerked back at the sound of a day opening.

"Aurélie, who are you talki-" Jaune's eyes widened, his father doing the same. Aurélie looked between them, biting her lip. His father narrowed his eyes, stepping into the room. "Give me your scroll, Aurélie." Aurelie hesitated, getting off her bed and handing her scroll to their father. His face took up his screen, his stern gaze, clenched jaw, and gray hair. "Wait outside." He said. The door clicked shut behind him.

Jaune's throat was dry, his heart pounding against his chest. He weakly raised a hand in greeting.

"Hi, dad," he said, his voice uneven. His father's gaze was unwavering.

"You have a lot of guts calling here after the shit you've pulled." Jaune grimaced. "Stealing Crocea Mors and the family armor. Running away from home. Joining a Hunter Academy when the combat instructors and I all told you, you couldn't be a Hunter." He smirked. "I guess I was wrong, son."

Jaune's mouth fell open, tears welling in his eyes. His father smiled at him.

"I never believed in you. You were so frail and weak, not like Dijon at all, how could I expect you to be able to survive out there as a Hunter." His father snorted. "And yet here you are, a real Hunter in training at Beacon Academy. And a team leader at that. You're making our family proud, fighting in the Vytal Tournament."

"I want you to come back home during winter break. Your mother and sister miss you." His father's smile grew. "And I can see about getting you some better fitting armor, and a new sword. The family heirlooms aren't the best things to fight with."

Jaune smiled at his father, trying to hold back tears. His voice was thick as he spoke.

"Thanks, dad." His father walked over to the door, opening it.

"I'll let you and Aurélie get back to it. Oh and one more thing." His father's smile grew mischievous. "You're grounded when you get home." Jaune laughed.

* * *

Pyrrha opened the door to the dorm room, Ren and Nora behind her. Her eyebrows raised, surprised to see Jaune already in the dorm room, sitting on his bed, his scroll held out in front of him. He looked up at them as they came in. He smiled and waved them over.

"Who are you waving at, Jaune?" a female voice asked.

"My team. I want them to meet you. Oh! Go and get the others, they'll wanna meet them too!" he said. Pyrrha sat down next to Jaune, Ren taking his other side, and Nora climbing onto the bunk above, dangling upside down above Jaune. The screen showed a bedroom, the walls a pale yellow, the door ajar.

"Who were you talking to?" Pyrrha asked, resting her head on his shoulder.

"My sister, Aurélie." He said.

"Cool! We finally get to meet your sisters!" Nora said, her face starting to turn red.

"What made you decide to call them?" Ren asked. Jaune shrugged.

"I felt like it was time."

A moment later a group of blonde girls of varying age came into the room, all excited, trying to cram their face in the camera's view.

"Hi Jaune!"

"Is that Pyrrha Nikos?"

"We missed you!"

Jaune smiled, waving at the screen.

"Hey guys."

Pyrrha smiled, nuzzling Jaune's shoulder as he began to introduce them to his various sisters.

* * *

His wrists were chaffed, blood slowly dripping down. His breathing was noisy, his nose broken and his lip split. His teeth were broken and cracked, his mouth aching. Damn Atlesian scum had to be drugging him, putting something in his food to keep his aura from regenerating. He could feel blood caked on his upper lip, and his left eye throbbed with pain with every breath. His tiny cell reeked of sweat, and body odor.

He raised his hands, the chained cuffs not allowing them to go up very far. He lowered his body, gritting his teeth as he lowered his chest over his hands. He fished through his coats pocket's, pulling out his most prized possessions.

Torchwick leaned back, smiling contently. Two photographs; the only things he carried on him he would kill without hesitation to protect. He ran his thumb over the old photos; the photo Neo's mother had taken of him cradling Neo in his arms, adoration on his face, and the photo he had taken with his team before he had gotten expelled; Team REDD.

He ran across the orphanages courtyard, a book in his arms, and a smile on his lips. He found the shady tree he always sat under and plopped down, opening the book to the page he had dog eared. His smile grew as he continued the adventure; the dashing rogue saving the city and stopping the Grimm.

He looked up from his book, looking past the brick building he called home. He would get out of this place. He was going to be a hero, just like in the books.

Roman sat in the Great Hall of Beacon Academy, clapping as the next team took the stage. A woman in a white gothic dress and a white cloak took the stage, a zweihänder slung across her back. A solemn faced man in gray, and an identical looking woman in red and black joined the woman's side. They carried a scythe and an odachi. A cheery blonde man in bright clothes joined them. The four of them stood in front of Ozpin, waiting. Ozpin smiled.

"The four of you recovered the Golden Knights, from this day forward you will work together as Team STRQ. Led by Summer Rose." Ozpin held out his hand. Summer smiled, her silver eyes beaming with joy as she shook it. Qrow and Raven politely shook Ozpin's hand, their solemn expressions unchanging. Ozpin's arm shook as Taiyang shook his hand.

Laughter broke out in the packed auditorium at that. Ozpin massaged his hand as Summer and her team went back to their seats. Ozpin cleared his throat and the laughter died down.

"And now for the last team for the evening. Roman Torchwick. Eon Politan. Dahlia Khatri. Dandelion Lusus. Please step forward."

Roman smiled, looking over at his partner. She looked back at him, smiling as well, excitement in her pink and brown eyes. They stood up, making their way down to the stage, their soon to be team mates joining them. His stomach was in knots as he stepped onto the stage, resting his sweaty hands behind his back as he stood before Ozpin.

"The four of you managed to recover the Bronze Pawn. From this day forward you will work together as Team REDD. Led by Roman Torchwick." Ozpin held out his hand as the auditorium applauded. Roman shook his hand politely, worried the sweat would bother his headmaster. Eon shook his hand after him, and embraced Roman's side. Roman blushed, some of the other students starting to 'awww'. He bashfully returned the embrace while Dahlia and Dan shook Ozpin's hand.

The darkness of Beacon Academy at night was enveloping, crushing. Roman kept his hands in his pocket as he walked through the courtyard. Late night studying was gonna be the death of him. He shrugged; if he wanted to be a Hunter that meant getting through all the boring crap Oobleck taught.

"Please! Stop!" A woman screamed. Roman stopped, his head jerking over in the direction of the scream.

"I said shut up you fucking animal!" The woman cried out in pain, and Roman ran into the darkness, anxiety shooting through him. He rounded a corner, skidding to a stop, his breath catching in his throat.

Maximus Winchester, a beast of a man, was pressing a Faunus woman with dark brown hair and rabbit ears against a wall. Her shirt had been ripped open, her bra shredded. One hand was wrapped around her throat, his other hand wresting on her skirt. His zipper was undone. Roman held back the vomit at the back of his throat, his body trembling as he stepped forward, his hands balling into fists.

"Let her go!" He shouted. Maximus looked back at him, his hand still on her throat.

"Get out of here, boy. Don't try and be a hero." Roman sneered, and shook his head. He raised his fists, trying to keep his body from trembling. He charged at Maximus with a yell.

Maximus let the woman go, sidestepping Roman as he swung at him. Roman spun around, kicking Maximus in the crotch. He yelped in pain, crumpling to the floor. Roman pounced on top of him, pinning his arms to the floor, pounding into his face. Roman yelped as Maximus shoved his arms forward, knocking Roman off of him. Roman landed on his back, scrambling back as Maximus tried to kick him. Roman got to his feet, ducking under Maximus' hook.

Maximus yelled out in pain, crumpling to the floor again. The woman was breathing hard, tears in her eyes as she lowered her leg. Maximus glared up at them, snarling as he spoke.

"You're gonna regret this." Maximus looked over his shoulder at the woman, hate in his eyes. "You say a word about this, and I'll kill you." Roman scowled and kicked him in the face, stomping on his head. Blood spurted from his nose at it broke, his body going limp as he went unconscious.

Roman was breathing hard as he looked over at the woman. She stared at Maximus in terror, clutching her shredded clothes to hide her dignity. She turned and ran, he could hear her hiccupping as she fled.

His hands were trembling as he held them behind his back. Headmaster Ozpin was glaring at him, the green light from his windows enshrouding him.

"As I'm sure you are aware, this school has a strict policy on harassment. I got a report from Mr. Winchester that he caught you trying to sexually assault Ms. Scarlatina, calling her a slur as well. And that when he confronted you, you physically assaulted him. I had Professor Goodwitch and Doctor Sorrel talk to Ms. Scarlatina as well, and her account matches Mr. Winchester's."

His eyes widened, his mouth falling open in shock.

"What?" he said, stepping forward. His hands left his back, motioning with them as he spoke. "That's impossible. I saved her! If I hadn't been there that monster would have raped her! Or even killed her!"

Ozpin stood up, glowering at him.

"Mr. Winchester and Ms. Scarlatina have no reason to lie about this. From this moment forward you will no longer be a member of my school."

"What about my team? They need me, I'm their leader!" Ozpin's gaze was stony.

"They will continue their education without you. You are expelled from Beacon Academy, Mr. Torchwick. And I have notified the VPD about what transpired here. They will be taking you into custody once you leave." Ozpin narrowed his eyes. "Which I would advise you to do. Now."

He was alone in his cell, the metal bench uncomfortable. His hands were in his lap, his head hung low. He had saved that girl, why would she lie?

There was a metallic clanging and he looked up, cocking an eyebrow in confusion.

A man in a white suit stood before his cell, his black beard oily. The man smiled, his teeth yellow.

"Roman Torchwick, right?" he asked. Roman nodded, narrowing his eyes. The man laughed. "No need for that look, I'm here to help ya. My name is Nero." The man started to pace. "I heard what ya did, raped that animal girl."

"I didn't-!"

"Shut up." Nero said coldly. Roman closed his mouth, looking away.

"I don't usually help people into bestiality. But what you did after that caught my attention." Nero looked over his shoulder at him, his yellow teeth sickening in the dim light. "You beat the shit out of a Winchester; one of the Schnee lapdogs. You got a year of Hunter training under your belt, I could use someone like you in my organization."

"Organization?" Roman asked.

"It's a family business, lots of good money for easy jobs. Just gotta move some Dust around. It'll piss off the Schnee's, Winchesters, and all those other families." Nero reached his hand into Roman's cell. "If you want in, I can take care of this situation for ya. What do ya say?"

Roman left his bench, taking his hand. Nero's grip was firm.

Hei Xiong's club was gaudy, the neon lights hurting his eyes. The music was thumping, the bass messing with his chest. He climbed down the crystal staircase, stepping around people as they tried to leave.

Nero needed him to pick up the money Hei owed him. Simple job. Roman eyed the poorly dressed goons littered throughout the club, and tightened the grip on his cane.

He took a seat at the bar, next to a dark skinned woman with white hair and the big man himself. Hei was watching over the club's crowd, a martini in hand. Roman turned in his seat.

"Looking kinda old there, Junior." He said. Hei snorted, downing his drink. He set the glass on the bar counter.

"I told Nero I would have his money."

"Yeah about that, Nero isn't the waiting kind of guy. He wants it now." Hei gave him a cold look before sighing.

"Fine. Wait here." Roman leaned back in his seat, drumming his fingers on his cane as he waited, nerves eating at him.

"Roman?" He turned in his seat; he knew that voice. His eyes widened as he looked at the woman next to him.

"Eon?" She smiled at him, setting her drink to the side. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Graduation party." She leaned against the counter, resting her head in her hand. She was looking him over, at the new clothes Nero had him wear. "Dan and Dalhi are down there if you wanna go say hi." He shook his head.

"I'm here for a job. And besides…." He paused, looking at his hands. "I don't think they would want to talk to a villain like me." He felt Eon place a hand on his shoulder, her touch gentle. He looked back at her, her face warm.

"We don't think you did that Roman. You're not that kind of person. You got a good heart deep down. Panne was scared, and who wouldn't have been if that happened to them. She didn't think the school could protect her, a Faunus, from someone with the kind of pull a Winchester has." Roman frowned.

"Well, glad to see you three know the truth." Eon slid her hand down his arm, her touch caressing. He looked into her pink and brown eyes. She flashed him a smile.

"Do you want to go somewhere after you're done with this 'job'? I've missed you." She licked her lips, the end of her tongue forked. "So much."

She had her mother's eyes, her little tufts of hair matching; pink and brown. He smiled at her, waving a finger in front of her face, cooing. She drooled, grabbing his finger with her stubby hands. He looked up as Eon came over, a milk bottle in hand. He gingerly handed her over to her, scooting over so Eon could sit next to him. Eon rested her head on his shoulder as she fed their daughter, their little Neo.

He killed the car's engine, the rain pitter pattering against the windshield softly. He sighed, resting his head on the car wheel. This daycare cost so much. He glanced at the frilly pink umbrella that she loved so much. But she was worth it. He grabbed the umbrella and opened the car door. He walked across the daycare parking lot, the air chilly and cutting through his jacket.

He opened the door, grunting in disgust at the pastel colors and bright lights that hit him as he entered. The woman in charge looked up from the table she was crouched next to. She straightened out her blouse, looking uneasy.

"Mr. Torchwick I wanted to have a word with you about your daughter." He cocked his head to the side.

"Oh?" She glanced at the children at the table before motioning for him to follow her. She started to walk to a different part of the daycare.

"Since she's been here she's been rather…" she made a face as she thought of the word. "Antisocial. She doesn't talk to any of the other kids, or to us."

"She's mute." He said. The woman blinked.

"Regardless, she's been having behavior issues. She doesn't play with the other children, and she's acted rather violently towards some of them." She stopped, and Roman looked past her to see Neo sitting by herself in a corner. "She stabbed another girl in the hand with her fork during lunch, and we caught her throwing stones at a squirrels during recess." Neo looked up from her knees, her face lighting up at the site of him. "And…. Don't take this the wrong way, Mr. Torchwick, but is your daughter a Faunus?" He looked at the woman. He narrowed his eyes.

"Why do you ask?" She crossed her arms.

"This is a Faunus free place, sir. I'll have to respectfully ask you to take your daughter somewhere else." Roman frowned and shoved past her, going to Neo. She hopped to her feet, smiling and holding out her hand. He took it, shooting the woman a death glare as he left.

"That little monster is not my daughter!" Eon screamed. Roman scowled.

"She's your kid you dumb bitch! You need to start taking care of her! I can't be the only one raising her!" Eon snorted.

"Oh, because you're so busy doing your 'job'. Any street rat can smuggle dust."

"Someone's gotta pay the bills! You certainly aren't with that Hunter salary!" Eon's head snapped over to their bedroom door; it was cracked open and Neo was peering in. Eon scowled and stormed off, slamming their bathroom door shut. Roman went to Neo, scooping her into his arms, patting her back. "It's okay, Neo. Mom and Dad are just having a disagreement."

He took her to her room, tucking her into her bed. Neo held her arms out, and Roman hugged her. He broke the hug, handing her her favorite stuffed animal. She smiled and snuggled with it. He left the room, closing the door gently.

He opened the door, his mouth falling open. A man in a black suit stood in the doorway, Eon's rifle slung over his shoulder.

"You're Eon Politan's husband, correct?" Roman nodded. The man handed him her rifle, his eyes were sympathetic. "I regret to inform you that she was killed on her latest mission. The village she was defending buried her remains, but wanted to send this to you." The man said stepping back. Roman's lip quivered, falling to his knees, clutching her rifle to his chest. He hiccupped, feeling the tears fall down his cheeks. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Roman looked up from the soup he was making, the front door slamming open. He cocked an eyebrow, lowering the ladle. He stepped out of the kitchen and looked into the living room to see Neo sitting in a chair, her legs tucked up to her chin, staring at the floor. Roman went to her side.

"You okay?" he asked. Neo shook her head.

"Am I an animal?" she signed. He blinked, his expression falling.

"Of course not. Who called you that?" Neo wouldn't look at him as she signed her response.

"Everyone at school calls me that. And…" she paused, her hands trembling. "You called mom that some times. And when you have work people over you use that word." Roman frowned, chewing his lip.

"Neo, you know how I smoke?" She nodded. "It's like that for me with that word. I know it's hurtful but I've just gotten used to saying it when I'm angry. I'll try and stop, for you." He rested a hand on her shoulder, offering a comforting smile. "And the next time someone talks to you like that, beat em to within an inch of their life, got it?" Neo nodded, a grin spreading across her face.

He checked his watch, frowning; Neo didn't stay out this long. He got up from his chair, peeking out the window. His breath hitched in his throat, and he bolted to the door, throwing it open.

"Neo!" he screamed, running from the door and down the sidewalk.

She was naked, blood on her hands and feet, her eyes red and puffy, tears streaming down her face. She was trembling, covering herself with her hands. She looked up at him, her mouth forming a voiceless cry. She collapsed onto the sidewalk, her trembling worsening. He slid to his knees, tossing off his jacket, and wrapping it around her. She pressed her forehead against his chest, sobbing in silence.

The rain pelted down on him as he threw open his car trunk.

"Augustus, my boy! So good to see you again!" he said, looking down at the naked, bound and gagged man in his trunk. His screams were muffled by the sock in his mouth. Roman grabbed him by his neck, hurling him out of his car and into the mud. He kicked him in the gut, enjoying the strangled cry of pain. He twirled his cane, smiling at the man as he spoke.

"My dear little Neo went and told me what you did." He struck Augustus across the face with his cane. He stepped on his chest, slamming the end of his cane into his throat. "And!" _smack_ _"_ You!" _smack_ "Should!" _smack_ "Have!" _smack_ "Known!" _smack_ "Not!" _smack_ "To!" _smack_ "Fuck!" _smack_ "With!" _smack_ "Me!" Roman yelled. He smacked Augustus across the face with his cane, the schmuck's aura breaking with the hit. "Your daddy isn't here to help you, you little shit. Nero can't save you this time." Roman sneered, stepping off his chest and slamming his heel into his nose. He felt his nose break, blood running down his face, mingling with the rain.

Roman stepped away from him, his lip twitching as he turned to the car and motioned to her. Neo opened her door, stepping out, a knife in her shaking hand. Roman grabbed his hat, twirling his cane as he did a bow.

"He's all yours. He won't be able to hurt you." He put his hat back on, stepping out of her way. He grinned as Neo kicked him in the crotch, his muffled cries for help were like music.

Neo dropped to her knees, Augustus trying to squirm away. Neo grabbed his neck and stabbed the knife into his knees, the gag doing nothing to silence his screams. Roman's smile grew as Neo yanked the knife out, stabbing it into his other knee, twisting the blade. She yanked it out, a grin starting to form as she stabbed his crotch repeatedly, her blade coated in blood. She looked Augustus in the eye, grabbing him by the hair as she jabbed the blade into his gut, blood and entrails spurting out as she sliced his stomach open. His body shook, growing still after a moment. Neo yanked her blade out, and stabbed it into the side of his head before standing up, turning to Roman with a sweet smile, specks of blood on her face.

Roman smiled back.

The shithole they were hiding in had a leaky roof, and was drafty when the wind blew. Neo was coloring, laying on her stomach on the floor. Roman sat in his chair, his scroll in his lap, his cane next to him.

There was a banging at the door and Roman' head jerked up. He stood up, grabbing his cane, motioning for Neo to stay put. He went to the door as it banged again.

He glanced up at the door as the banging continued. He scowled, painfully contorting his body to pocket the photos again. He straightened out his body, smirking confidently.

"What did you bring me this time, boys? The toys you used last time were pretty tame." The door slid open, and his smirk fell.

Neo stood in his cell doorway, her pink and brown hair pulled back into a bun. She wore an Atlesian officer uniform. Her mouth parted as she looked him over, at what the Atlesian's had done to him.

"Hi, dad," she signed. Her eyes lingered on his swollen eye. "How have you been holding up?" He rolled his neck, wincing slightly at the pain.

"I've been through worse." Her body shook, resting a hand on her lips.

"Liar," she signed after her laughing had ended. He shrugged, offering a smile.

"It's what I do best." He shifted in his seat. "I'm guessing she's done taking her sweet time?" Neo nodded.

"It's in a few days." Neo's lip curled over her teeth, smiling devilishly. "I can't wait to have fun." Roman looked at his hands, the dried blood caking his palms. He snorted. Fun. He looked back up at Neo. She had her head cocked to the side, an eyebrow raised.

"Are you okay, dad?" she signed. He nodded, flexing his fingers.

"I want to get this over with, Neo." Neo looked at his bloody wrists, before nodding. She glanced around her before stepping into the cell, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Roman smiled, nuzzling her shoulder as she hugged him. She pulled back a moment later, a warm smile on her face.

"Sorry this is taking so long." Neo's head perked up, her eyes narrowing in concentration. Her eyes widened, her hands almost a blur as she signed. "Troops coming. I have to hide. Love you, see you soon."

Neo turned and ran, the door to his cell sliding shut. Roman leaned back in his cell, exhaling, his expression falling.

There are no hero's in the end.

* * *

Green light filtered through the windows of his office. He rested a leg on his knee, watching the sunset. He closed his eyes and inhaled, holding the breath for a moment before exhaling. He pulled his scroll out.

"Glynda?" A moment of silence.

"Yes, sir?"

"Send her up." She sighed, her voice quiet.

"Yes, sir." He hung up, interlocking his fingers as he sat in his office. May the Gods forgive him for what he was about to do.

 **And that's it**


	43. Fall

**And here's the next chapter! I actually had this one done before I started the four original chapters I just did.**

The elevator door opened and he turned in his chair; she was here. Ozpin forced a smile as she came to his desk, taking the seat across from his. She rested her hands in her lap, smiling politely. Ozpin looked past her, at Qrow and Winter as they stood near the door, watching; Qrow slouching and Winter standing at attention.

"Thank you for coming, I hope that this isn't inconvenient." He said. She shook her head.

"Not at all, Professor. What did you need?" she asked.

"I just wanted to check in with you. How are you feeling? Are you excited to be going to the finals in the tournament? Your performance in the first two rounds has been exemplary."

"I've been feeling well, and yes, I'm excited to be going to the finals. Though I wouldn't have made it this far without my team."

Qrow snorted, snickering as Winter gave him a dirty look. She looked back at him, seeming to notice him and Winter for the first time. She stood up, hesitant.

"I'm sorry, I don't think we've been introduced."

"Name's Qrow," he said. Winter nodded at her.

"Captain Winter Schnee."

"Schnee? Like, Weiss?" Winter nodded.

"She's my younger sister." She looked back at Ozpin. He motioned for her to take her seat again.

"They're colleagues of mine." She gave them an odd look before returning to her seat. He pressed his hands together, his fingers interlocking. "Do you like fairy tales?" he asked. She cocked any eyebrow.

"I-I'm sorry?"

"Fairy tales; the myths and stories we are told as children; presenting an early religious or moral code. Surely you must remember some of them." The girl eyed him before speaking.

"I remember The Girl in the Tower, The Shallow Sea, and my mother told me some of the Faunus' fairy tales, like The Lion and The Crane, and-"

"Do you remember the Story of the Seasons?" he asked. She paused, thinking for a moment, before nodding.

"I do."

"Would you mind reciting that one? It has been so long since I've heard it. Your memory starts to wane when you get to be my age."

"Of course, Professor." She cleared her throat. "There was once a callous old wizard who was bitter about the world. He never left his home. Until one day he was visited by four traveling sisters. The oldest and wisest sister understood his anger and bitterness and desire to remain alone. So she urged him to use his time alone to reflect and to meditate."

"The second oldest began to bring him fruits, vegetables, and flowers; tending to his crops and reviving his long dead garden. The third sister spent time with the wizard, warming his heart and helping break the shell he had placed around himself. She helped him love and embrace the world around him once again."

"The youngest sister, seeing all that he had and all that her sisters had done for him, begged him to look at all that he had and to be thankful for the glory of the world, that Remnant was not as cold and horrible as he had thought it was. In return for their kindness, the wizard granted these four maidens incredible magical powers. So that they may continue to help others around the world, doing for others what they had done for him. They graciously accepted this gift, taking their leave and spreading to the four corners of Remnant to help the people of the world until the end of their days. They were known as Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall." She smiled at him.

"I can't believe I forgot the name of that story. It's my mother's favorite." Ozpin leaned back in his chair; it always warmed his heart hearing about them again.

"Would you believe me if I told you that that story has been around since I was a young boy?" She giggled.

"You're not _that_ old, Professor." His face darkened.

"And what if I told you that it was all true?" She looked at him confusion, her mouth parting, her eyes widening.

"I-I'm sorry?"

"Have you ever noticed how similar the myths in many of the world's religions are? How despite their differences in beliefs, the Ishvaraian's, Brothers Church, and Followers of Dust all have stories about four young women who were gifted with powers and granted with the task of protecting the four core values of Remnant; Knowledge, Creation, Destruction, and Choice? How each continent has its own version of the Story of Seasons, most of them appearing around the same time and before mass communication was possible?" She shook her head.

"I…I've never noticed that, Professor. Fairy tales didn't interest me that much, and I'm not the most religious of people."

"What if I told you that the Maidens still existed? That there are four young women on Remnant right now who can wield devastating powers without the use of Dust." She leaned back in her seat, not looking at his eyes.

"Like, with their semblances?" He shook his head.

"With magic." She shook her head in disbelief. She looked back as Qrow and Winter walked over to her.

"First time you hear it, it sounds pretty batshit doesn't it?" Qrow said, crossing his arms. She looked at them, shaking her head. She looked back at him.

"Are you serious? Magic?" He leaned forward, she leaned away from him.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" She looked into his eyes, fidgeting as she looked for the nonexistent lie. She swallowed, and shook her head.

"Why. Why are you telling me all of this?" Ozpin looked away from her, at Winter. She nodded. Ozpin inhaled, closing his eyes.

"We're telling you all of this, Pyrrha Nikos, because we believe that you are next in line to receive the Fall maiden's powers."

Pyrrha's jaw dropped, shaking her head. The elevator pinged, the door sliding open. She looked behind her, watching Ironwood and Glynda walk into the room. Pyrrha rose from her chair, stepping away from them, shaking her head, her breathing unsteady.

"What is all of this?" she demanded. "This doesn't make any sense, who are all of you?"

Glynda stepped towards her, her arms spread open; trying not to scare Pyrrha.

"We're all the same people that you've gotten to know, Pyrrha. I'm still your combat professor. Ozpin and Ironwood are still the Headmasters of Beacon and Atlas. Nothing has changed, Pyrrha. You can trust us."

"We just got a part time job," Qrow said.

"We are the protectors of this world," Ironwood said.

"And we need your help, Pyrrha," Winter said.

Pyrrha swallowed, closing her mouth, her breathing slowing as they watched her.

* * *

The elevator was cramped as it descended; the deathly quiet eating at her nerves. She looked at the panel, they had passed the bottom floor and were still going.

"Where are we going?" she asked hesitantly.

"Beneath the school, to its Vault." Ozpin said.

The elevator descended without noise, seeming to go on forever. It stopped, the doors sliding open. They stepped out, their steps echoing. She stared in shock at the hallway before her.

The floors were marble, torches lining the stone pillars, green fire igniting as they passed each pillar. She saw no end to the hallway, just an endless black void. She took a tentative step out of the elevator, her heel clicking against the stone, the sound echoing around her. Glynda stopped, looking back, waiting for her to catch up.

"You must have a lot of questions." Glynda said, walking alongside her. Pyrrha nodded.

"I don't fully understand what's going on." She motioned towards Ozpin and the others. "You said that I was next in line to receive the Maiden's power but what do you mean by that?"

"The Maidens have existed for eons, but much like in nature, the seasons change."

"Which means?"

"When a Maiden dies, her abilities are transferred to a new host. The Maidens have incredibly, terrible power, but they are not immortal. No one Maiden can hold onto her power forever, and whether she likes it or not, it will go to a newer, younger woman when she dies."

"How does this power get transferred? Is it random? Is it a bloodline?" Pyrrha asked.

"Through a series of stupidly convoluted rules. We wish it was as easy as a bloodline, makes it much easier to keep track of."

"Qrow." Winter said, annoyed.

"Don't get pissed cause I'm right. Shit's stupidly hard to track." Glynda sighed, and adjusted her glasses as she walked.

"We aren't entirely sure if we have the exact method down yet. When this order first started protecting the Maidens, all it knew was that the powers were transferred to young women; regardless of whether or not that was what they had been assigned at birth. As time went on this order managed to learn that the process is a tad more intimate."

Pyrrha felt heat creep into her cheeks.

"Intimate?" she asked quietly.

"Our current theory is that when a Maiden dies, the powers are transferred to the last woman in her thoughts."

"Unless it's some old hag. Then it just goes to someone at random. Which is a pain in the ass to track down." He looked back at Glynda with a smirk. "If you were about twenty years younger, Glynda, we wouldn't be in this mess." Glynda glowered at him as he turned away with a chuckle.

"Why are you telling me all of this? Wouldn't it be better if I was a fully-fledged Huntress? I'm still in training."

"We have run out of time." Winter said.

"Don't know if you've noticed but the world's going to hell in a handbasket. Tension between the Kingdoms, Grimm growing stronger and attacking more and more. It's only a matter of time before this long peace we've all loved so much ends and a new age of darkness begins."

Anxiety ate at her gut, weighing her down.

"Is… is a new Great War going to happen?" She asked.

"In a worst case scenario, yes. But the war that is happening right now is not between the Kingdoms." Ironwood said. Qrow looked back at her.

"We can give you all the details once we know you are on our side. Right now all you need to know is that one of the Maidens was attacked and a part of her power taken away."

Ozpin and the other's began to slow down, coming to a stop. The torches on the walls ignited, the black void disappearing. Pyrrha gasped; a large machine sat against the wall, bathing in the green fire light. Two pods were hooked up to a large central component, long transparent tubes connecting the two pods. A body was in the right pod.

"I-is that…?" Ozpin sighed, nodding his head.

"That is the current Fall Maiden, Amber Cadere."

Pyrrha stared at the body; she was naked, her skin a dark brown. A long ugly scar covered the left side of her face, her left eye missing, a scarred fleshy blob where her eye should have been. Wires and tubes were hooked up to her body, and Pyrrha could hear a gentle beeping coming from the machine. Amber's body shook as she took a breath.

"How much time does she have?" Pyrrha asked.

"We're using state of the art Atlas technology to keep her stable but we can't keep her alive forever. We expect her to pass relatively soon." Ironwood sighed. "And we're not entirely sure what will happen when she passes."

"Her power will transfer to the next candidate, right?"

"Under normal circumstances, yes." Winter said.

"But this is a very delicate situation. Amber was made catatonic after she was attacked. It's not wrong to believe that her attacker may be the last person she thinks of when she dies. To make it even worse, we've never seen a Maiden have her powers split; even if her attacker isn't the last person in her thoughts, will the remains of her power just want to go to its other half?"

"And that woman having the powers of a Maiden would not bode well for any of us." Ozpin added.

Pyrrha looked at Amber's body; the wires and tubes and scars. She stepped forward, standing in front of her pod, resting a hand on the glass. She could hear Amber's strained breathing. She turned to them, clenching her hand into a fist.

"Why? Why not tell everyone about the Maidens? Why are you allowing the world to get so close to a new war?" she asked them. Glynda stepped forward.

"This order was founded _due_ to the Maidens being common knowledge." Pyrrha shook her head.

"That makes no sense."

"Listen kid, I know you're still in school and haven't seen much of the real world, but even you have got to know what would happen if everyone knew about four mortal beings with unimaginable power. That you can have the powers of a god if you slayed one of them." Qrow said. He pulled out his flask before pocketing it at the death glare Winter gave him. Glynda stepped forward.

"This order was founded thousands of years ago to protect the Maidens and the Silver Eye bloodline. Those who hungered for power hunted the Maidens, or would try and control them, turning them into weapons."

"And the ones who succeeded were not the kind of people you would want having unimaginable power." Qrow said.

"So this order took it upon itself to remove the Maidens from the public, turning them into nothing but a story." Winter said.

"This knowledge goes against thousands of years of Remnant history; it conflicts with the stories in all of Remnant's major religions." Glynda said.

"If the Maidens became public knowledge again it would cause a panic, and we all know what would come crawling at each Kingdom's walls." Ozpin sighed. "And that is why we want you to become the next Fall Maiden."

Pyrrha looked at Amber, her nails biting into her hand.

"You want me to kill her? To take her power?" she asked quietly.

"We would never make you do something like that, Pyrrha." Ozpin said. He extended his hand to her. "Given her condition, we are not going to risk her power's being transferred-" he paused as he thought of the word "Naturally." He turned, looking at Ironwood. "General Ironwood believes he has come up with a solution." Ironwood stepped forward.

"For the past few years, Atlas has been studying aura, trying to understand the science behind our souls. How the soul works, what it's made of, how our auras and semblances use it. We have made significant strides; we've learned how to capture a soul as a person dies." Qrow scowled, his voice dripping with venom.

"Capture it and cram it into some hunk of metal." Ironwood's lip twitched, his gloved hand balling into a fist. Qrow looked over at her. "Or in your case, force Amber's soul into your body."

Pyrrha's knees shook, backing away from Ironwood. Her gut was in knots, she grabbed her arms, trying to stop herself from shaking.

"That's-"

"What needs to be done." Ironwood said. He couldn't look at her. Pyrrha shook her head vehemently.

"No! That's wrong! That's evil! You're going to take what makes Amber a person, and-and-" she couldn't finish. She backed away from them, hitting the glass. Glynda and Qrow glared at Ironwood. Winter's face was a mask that Pyrrha couldn't read.

"The feeling is mutual, Pyrrha," Glynda said. She sighed, crossing her arms. "But unfortunately, desperate times call for desperate measures."

Ironwood shoved past Glynda, stepping towards her. Pyrrha leaned back against the glass. His gaze was stern.

"And these are desperate times. I can't transfer Amber's powers to you but I can give you what those powers are bound to, and we can prevent the enemy from gaining them." Pyrrha stuttered as she spoke, she could feel sweat drip down her side.

"What would that do to me? What would happen to my soul?" Ironwood looked away.

"Now there's the million lien question. We have no clue what will happen. Last time this machine was used the other participant didn't have a soul to begin with, and it left her without any memories when it was done. We have no idea what would happen this time. It might even kill you." Qrow said.

Winter stepped forward, her arms resting behind her back.

"We are giving you a choice Pyrrha; you can go about your life like before or you can become the next Fall Maiden. But we understand how overwhelming all of this is, and that it may be too much for you to bear." Winter's mask broke, just for a sliver of a second but Pyrrha could see the fear and anxiety in her eyes. "I was the original candidate Ironwood chose for this procedure. If you don't want to go through with this, I will do it in your place." Pyrrha saw her swallow, her breathing slightly less calm than it had been before.

"You said you're Weiss' older sister, right?" Winter nodded as she answered

"I am."

"And if you were to become the new Maiden, Weiss would lose you?" The briefest of hesitation.

"She would. And I am prepared to make any sacrifice for the good of Remnant." Winter said. She looked at each of them, at their stern expressions, the expectation for her to do as they ask.

"We understand that this is a huge decision to make, Pyrrha, and we don't expect you to have an answer right now." Glynda said, smiling reassuringly. Ozpin rested his hands on his cane as he spoke.

"But we will need it soon. We must know your decision by the end of the Festival." She turned to face Amber, resting her hand on the glass as she looked into her disfigured face. "The woman who did this is planning an attack on Beacon, and we don't know when it will come." Pyrrha saw her reflection in the glass.

* * *

Yang smirked, resting her hand on her hip as the crowd cheered, and the cameras flew around filming all of them. The arena's floodlights were a tad harsh, but that was better than fighting in the dark. She looked away from the cameras, looking down the line of other fighters. It was nice to have Pyrrha and Penny in the finals with her, but she hoped she wouldn't have to fight either of them. Ruby might not like it if she beat her girlfriend to a pulp. Not after the break down Penny just had.

"Ladies and gentlemen it's the moment you have all been waiting for; the one on one finals!" Port boomed. The cheering got louder, thunderously loud now. "Barty, care to go over the rules for the finals?"

"Of course, Peter. In this final round there will be no bracket system, each fight is determined at random right before the match. No time to prepare beforehand, just straight into the fight. And let's see who our first fighters will be!"

The arena screens went blank before two panels appeared, spinning through each of the fighters pictures at high speeds. It slowed down, the first one stopping on a pale man with gray hair.

MERCURY BLACK

The second panel began to slow down, and Yang's smirk grew.

XIAO LONG YANG

"Will all other contestants please leave the combat arena." Port said.

The arena stage cleared, Mercury giving her a smirk as the floor rose into the air, the spotlights on them.

"Better not go easy on me," she said with a wink. Mercury chuckled.

"You wish," he said.

Yang took a stance, her fists raised, her gauntlets sliding into place. Mercury shifted his legs, raising his hands, palms open. Port counted down, his voice bellowing over the speaker

"Fight!"

Yang threw a punch with a yell, her fist colliding with Mercury's boot. He grunted, jumping back. He charged her, his foot shooting out. Yang sidestepped him, punching him in the side. He hissed in pain, throwing up an arm to block her other hook. He swung at her, she ducked; his form was awful. She yelled in surprise as she was kicked in the gut, getting knocked back.

She slid to a halt, gnashing her teeth. He gave her a confident grin. She scowled, and opened fire. He sprinted towards her, zig zagging as he ran, her shotgun blasts sparking against the arena floor. He leapt into the air with a yell, his leg hurling towards her. She threw her crossed wrists over her head, grunting as his boot landed.

He kicked her with his free leg, back flipping off of her and landing. She fired, gasping as he ducked low before springing up, kicking her in the chin. Her jaw slammed shut, biting her tongue, blood filling her mouth.

His body whirled as he went for a roundhouse kick. Yang caught his boot, gritting her teeth, and tossing him to the side. He hit the arena floor, grunting as Yang leapt at him. He sprang to his feet, Yang's foot crushing the spot his head been. She spun towards him, grabbing him by the arm and yanking him backwards. He yelped in surprise before she punched him in the gut. She grabbed his shoulder, pounding into his chest and stomach with her fist, yelling with each blow.

Mercury head-butted her, his forehead slamming into her nose. She staggered back as pain shot through her. Mercury's kicked her shin, kneeing her in the face as she fell. She grit her teeth, ignoring the pain as he went for another kick. She ducked, her body contorting as she dodged his kicks. She swung her body, swiping his legs out from underneath him. She sprang up, slamming her fist into his nose, knocking him to the floor.

He sat up, glaring at her. He wiped the blood off his nose before charging at her. His kicks were relentless, his speed almost inhuman. His boot shot out at her legs, stomach, her head, her sides, every time she dipped and ducked around his blows his boot slammed into her. She grit her teeth and leapt back as he swung his leg in a wide sweep. She saw him sneer as he raised his leg, and fired. She fired, their blasts collided in the air, sparks raining down. She kept firing, yelling as the smoke and sparks filled the air.

 _Click!_

Her eyes widened; she forgot to bring more ammo.

Mercury sprinted out of the smoke, smirking as he jumped towards her. Yang screamed as a blast fired from his boot as it collided with her stomach. She fell to the ground, clutching her stomach in pain. Mercury snickered, walking towards her. He stopped in front of her, glaring down at her. He smirked as he raised his boot.

"Say goodnight, blondie." He stomped down, and Yang caught his foot with a scream. She felt her hair ignite, her blood burning as she threw him off. He yelled in surprise, landing on his back. Yang pounced on him, screaming. She pinned his body to the floor, grabbing him by the neck and slamming her fist into his face. She pounded and pounded, slamming his head against the floor. He tried to grab her hands, struggling to grab her wrists. She bit him, causing him to scream in pain, reeling his hands back. She tightened her grip on his neck and head-butted him, blood spraying from his nose and onto her. She saw a flicker of white light around him as he groaned in pain. She raised her fist, and swung it at his face. Her fist froze, millimeters from his face as a buzzer rang.

"Mercury's aura has been completely depleted! Ms. Xiao Long is the winner!" Oobleck declared.

"And what an explosive way to start the finals!" Port added.

Yang got off of him, wiping the sweat and blood off of her face. She smiled at him as he lay groaning in pain.

"Better luck next time," she said. Mercury staggered to his feet, swaying where he stood, blood running down his face. He sneered at her

"There's not gonna be a next time, bitch." His leg shot out and Yang's eyes widened. She slammed her fist down, striking his knee with a sickening crunch. Mercury screamed in pain, collapsing and grabbing his leg, red starting to spread from his knee.

The audience screamed in horror, gasps and boo's intermingled with the screams.

"Cut the feed!" Port ordered.

Yang snorted as she watched him writhe in pain, clutching his broken leg.

"That's what you get." She said. She took a step towards him, freezing as she heard running behind her. She turned and saw Atlesian Knight's and an Atlas soldier halt in front of her, their rifles aimed at her.

"Stand down!" The soldier yelled. She stared at them in confusion. She jabbed a finger at Mercury, who continued to scream in agony.

"That bitch nugget had it coming!" she said. The soldier motioned with his hand, the Atlesian Knights encircling her. She heard the rifles _click_ as the safeties were switched off.

"Relinquish your weapon and stand down! We don't want to shoot!" The soldier shouted.

"Mercury!" Yang saw Emerald run into the stage, sliding next to Mercury, her eyes widening in shock as she looked at his broken leg. She glared up at Yang, her eyes full of hate.

Yang looked around in confusion, at the guns aimed at her, the crowd's horrified faces. She slowly looked back, seeing the arena screen for the first time.

The image had frozen on her punching Mercury's knee. No. No that was impossible. Mercury was still on the ground in the image. No. No, no, no, no. She saw him get up, that couldn't be real. The soldier stepped forward, tightening the grip on his rifle.

"Stand down! Now! We will fire!" He yelled.

She slowly raised her hands, getting down to her knees. She heard the soldier run up, wrenching her gauntest off of her wrists. He shoved her down, grabbing her wrists and holding them behind her back. She stared up at the still image, something warm and wet running down her cheeks.

This couldn't be real.

 **And that's it! Next chapter is the last original chapter for V3. It will be about Amber.**


	44. The Fall Maiden

**And here's the next chapter! Sorry it's late, school and work are really killing me ^^; (I wrote most of this chapter in the middle of the night while tired so it might be a little less polished). This has a similar formatting as Torchwick's segment two chapters ago, so it might be a little confusing due to FF's formatting of docs.**  
 **Nier: Automata has great desert scenery/fighting music btw.**

The desert sun beat down on her as she slid down the dune; her cloak fluttering around her. The Blue Sand Desert was a dangerous part of Vacuo; Amber had heard stories of the week long sandstorms, of the Raiders and Nomads who lived out here, of the giant worm Grimm who made their homes in the sand.

The village had already sent her belongings to the next village, but there was too much stuff for her to ride with the truck. She slid to a stop, and started walking, using her staff as a walking stick. The next village wasn't terribly far away but it was still a pain to have to walk all the way there.

There was a flash on the horizon, and Amber narrowed her eyes. Another flash. She could hear the distant sound of gunfire. She grit her teeth as she started to run.

She climbed the dune, sand spraying as she reached the top. Several camels lay dead in the sand, their blood turning the sand purple, the others panicking. Piles of boxes and bags littered the ground, merchants taking cover behind their goods as raiders fired at them. Amber sneered, and ran down the dune. The merchants saw her coming, yelling in fear, and then confusion, as she vaulted over their cover with a yell.

She threw up her hand, the bullets hitting her telekinetic barrier. Some of the raiders stopped firing for a moment, looking at her in confusion before they resumed firing. She snarled, and rolled out of the way as her barrier broke. She sprang up, fire spewing from the end of her staff. One of the raiders screamed in pain, flames engulfing his body, and he fell to the ground, swatting at his body and rolling in the sand. Several of the other raiders stopped firing at her, rushing to their burning friend to try and put him out.

Amber charged forward, and leapt into the crowd of raiders. She slammed the White Dust end of her staff into the ground, sand spewing into the air. Several of the raider's screamed, clawing at their eyes as the sand hit their faces. She kicked one of the raider's in the calf, grabbing his neck with her staff as he fell. She jerked her staff to the side, hearing his neck snap, and dropped his body, throwing up her barrier as a raider fired at her, the shotgun slug stopping in the air. She dropped her barrier, ducking down as he fired, and slammed her staff into his gut, slashing up and flames shooting out as she slammed her staff into his face. He screamed, fire consuming his head before he collapsed.

She spun around, catching a raider's sword with her staff. He pulled back, slashing at her, and she spun her staff, catching each of his blow, before she twirled her staff and stabbed the end of it into the ground. He screamed in surprise as he was launched into the air, and Amber turned to face the other raiders.

The ground shook, and Amber stumbled, falling to her knees. She looked up to see the raiders stare at the ground in horror as it shook again. They turned and ran, leaving their dead behind. She grimaced as she heard it breach the surface, its roars deafening.

She leapt forward, turning in the air to face the Sandworm. Its skin was ink black, ebony white bone armor covering most of its body. It had no eyes, its maw filled with teeth. She skidded to a halt as she landed, sand spraying up, and grit her teeth as the worm reared back. Lightning shot from its maw, the sand turning to blue glass where the lightning struck it.

She dashed forward, her hair standing on end, as she ran past the lightning. She leapt into the air, shooting herself further up with the White Dust end of her staff. The worm was slow to react, raising its head as she fell onto its body. She landed with a grunt, stabbing her spear into a crease in its armor, black blood starting to trickle from its skin. She grit her teeth and turned her spear, flames spewing out and into the worms hide.

The worm roared, thrashing about, lightning shooting in various directions, and Amber tightened the grip on her staff as it tried to throw her off. Amber gasped as she felt the worm start to sink back down into the sand, and she yanked her staff free of its hide. She collapsed her staff and ran up the worm's body, sprinting and leaping off its head.

She tumbled when she hit the sand, and whirled to look back at the worm as it disappeared into the blue. Her breathing was ragged, and she staggered to her feet after a moment. She looked over at the awed merchants, and flashed them a smile.

"Care to give a girl a lift?" she asked with a laugh.

The airport of Vacuo City was crowded and loud, people bustling past her as she stood in line. The building was built of clay bricks, a faded brown color. Flags fluttered in the hot breeze. The ground rumbled with every airship take off. Amber drummed her fingers on the trolley, sweating as the sun beat down, the breeze doing nothing to stifle the heat.

"Next!"

Amber smiled as she pulled the trolley full of her boxed up belongings up to the window. The teller was a gruff faced jackal Faunus, his teeth sharp.

"Where ya headed?" he asked.

"Vale City. I'm moving there." Amber said, pulling out her wallet. The teller made a noise; Amber wasn't sure if it was a grunt or a chuckle. He printed the ticket, and she handed him the Lien. He handed her the ticket.

"I've been to Vale. Nice place, if you're human." He said. Amber cocked her head to the side.

"What do you mean?" she asked. He chuckled darkly.

"You'll find out, kid." She gave him an odd look as she left, heading to the airship marked on her ticket. She could hear the man bark out another 'next!' as she lugged her belongings behind her.

Amber kicked the apartment door open, grunting as she carried her boxes in. The room was small, the kitchen smaller, and the bathroom was laughable. But it was what she could afford, and it was close to a convenient store that sold microwave ramen and cheap beer so it wasn't all bad.

She set the boxes down, and flopped down onto the futon with a groan. That was the last box, all moved in. She leaned back, resting her neck against the cushion. She was really here, she was in Vale; she was going to be a doctor. She smiled, and pulled her scroll out, checking her bank account. What better way to celebrate than eating your first pizza in your new apartment. She grimaced when she saw her funds. Or maybe that microwave ramen at the corner store, that worked too.

Her keys jingled as she unlocked her mailbox, her nerves eating at her guts as she pulled out the letters. She tucked them under her pit and closed the slot, locking it.

She pulled her hood up as she made her way up the stairs; would it kill this place to invest in a heater?

She opened the door to her apartment, locking the door behind her as she entered. She flicked the kitchen light on, sorting through her mail. Rent, college loan bill, oh cool her medical magazine had come in. She started to flip through it, skimming the pages, her scroll a heavy weight. She glanced up from the magazine repeatedly, checking the microwave clock. Almost time.

Her scroll rang and she yelped, dropping the magazine and fumbling to pull her scroll out. She swiped the screen and put it to her ear.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Hello, may I speak to Amber Cadere?" a stern male voice asked. Amber nodded before realizing he couldn't see her.

"This is she."

"I wanted to inform you that your internship was approved. You'll be starting next week." Amber smiled.

"Thank you! I look forward to working with your hospital!" The man hung up, and Amber clutched her scroll to her chest, bouncing up and down, squeeing in joy.

Amber sighed as she exited the hospital, her scrubs filthy. She stood under the canopy, grimacing as the rain came down, her breath coming out in a silver mist. She opened up her umbrella and pulled the hood of her jacket up, thankful for the warmth.

The walk home was a long one; it would be some time before she could afford a car, and she didn't trust the bus. Not after last time. The sky was dark, clouds hiding the stars as she walked. The sidewalk was illuminated by the buildings and the headlights of the passing cars, the slick concrete appearing white and yellow.

Amber paused, her head perking up as she noticed a woman standing at the edge of the sidewalk, staring at the passing traffic sullenly. Her silver hair was pulled into a messy bun, her skin a deep brown, and her antler's stubby in length. She had no umbrella, and the hood of her jacket rested on her shoulders. The woman raised her foot, and took a deep breath.

"Ma'am?" Amber said. The woman hesitated, her foot dangling over the curb. The woman turned her head.

"Yes?" she asked, her voice emotionless. Amber shifted the umbrella, a car passing by them.

"I was going to go get a drink. Do you wanna join me?" The woman cocked her head to the side.

"What kind of drink?" she asked.

"What kind do you like?" The woman hesitated for a moment before speaking up, her voice quite, almost inaudible over the traffic and rain.

"Coffee is good." Amber smiled at her.

"I know a good place that's open this late." She motioned with her head to her umbrella, and held out her hand. The woman looked at her hand, and stepped away from the curb, taking it. Amber didn't let her hand go as she positioned the umbrella to cover her. She started to walk, keeping her pace slow, trying to desperately remember the Faunus friendly coffee shop she had passed before. "What's your name?" she asked. The woman looked down at her feet, and Amber gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Hazan." She said a few blocks later.

Thunder boomed, lightning lighting up her bedroom. The fan spun lazily, squeaking. Her blanket was tossed aside as she stared up at the ceiling, frowning.

She held her hand up, turning it as she looked at the back of her hand and the palm. She flexed her fingers, counting them. She still had five fingers; that was normal. She rested her middle finger on her thumb, hesitating.

Amber snapped her fingers, a green flame materializing above her thumb. She cocked her head to the side, running a finger through the fire. It was warm but it didn't burn. Her frown deepened as she shook her hand, the flame dying. She sighed, resting her hand on her head.

What was happening?

* * *

Ozpin leaned against his cane, mist spraying against him as the wind blew, and the rain poured down. He looked from the apartment door number to the text Qrow had sent him; 611212. He pocketed his scroll, and adjusted his glasses before knocking on the door.

He could hear her moving around behind the door before it unlocked. It cracked open a smidgen, golden brown eyes peering out. They narrowed in suspicion as they looked him over.

"Who are you?" Amber asked.

"My name is Ozpin. I am the Headmaster of Beacon Academy. You're Amber Cadere, correct? An intern at Vale Hospital?" Amber hesitated, eyeing him before nodding.

"I am, what do you want?" He pulled out his scroll, pulling up the picture of her.

"Do you remember this woman?" he asked. The door cracked open a bit more, and Amber stepped into the doorway, taking his scroll and studying the picture. She nodded.

"Yeah. I went and got coffee with her a few months back. Why?" She asked, handing him back his scroll. Ozpin pocketed it, adjusting his glasses so he wouldn't have to look at her as he spoke.

"She was found dead in her home some time ago. The VPD have ruled it a suicide." Amber blinked several times, her mouth opening and closing.

"That…. that's awful." She said finally.

"You were the last woman Hazan saw before her passing. I wanted to check in with you, see how you were doing."

"I was doing a lot better till I heard that she killed herself," Amber said.

"Of course." Ozpin peeked past her shoulder, looking into her apartment, Amber narrowed her eyes, closing the door behind her.

"Why are you really here?" Amber asked. "You don't just show up at someone's front door to tell them a stranger they barely knew killed herself." Ozpin shook his head, smirking. "You think this is funny?"

"Far from it. But I'm impressed that you were able to see through me so easily. I did come here to inform you of Hazan's tragic passing, but I am more interested in you at the moment, Amber." Ozpin took a step forward, Amber stood her ground. "Since the day you met Hazan have you been experiencing anything odd? Like you can do things you didn't think were possible?"

Amber stared at him, her eyes untrusting, before she finally nodded.

"Have you ever heard the Story of the Seasons?"

* * *

Amber stared at her lap, Ozpin sitting in the chair across from her.

"Do you believe me?" Ozpin asked. Amber nodded. She could make fire appear from nothing, that had to be magic. Her semblance didn't allow her to do that.

"So what do I do now? The Maidens are meant to be a secret, right? Am I going to have to leave here and go live like a hermit or something?" Ozpin shook his head with a chuckle.

"No, nothing that drastic. But you _will_ have to come with me for the foreseeable future. You need training; to learn how to use your powers. And there is still much more that you need to learn. Once your training is complete you can return here, to your normal life. I'll just need you to keep in contact with us, and to occasionally go outside of the Wall to protect any villages we hear about that are in danger. And of course you need to keep all of this a secret, we don't need a panic on our hands." Ozpin stood up, and held out a hand. "Are you ready, Amber?"

Amber snorted, and grasped his hand.

"Like I really have a choice." She said. Ozpin frowned, and dropped her hand, heading to the door. Amber looked around her apartment for what felt like the last time before following after him.

Her horse trotted down the road, swaying her gently. Her eyes were downcast, her hood pulled up.

She should be able to reach the village Qrow had mentioned by the end of the day, if luck was on her side. It wasn't terribly far from Vale, just a week by horse. She didn't have any pressing schoolwork and the hospital was kind enough to let her have that time off.

She slowed her horse to a walk, cocking her head to the side. There was a young girl with mint green hair sitting alone and crying in the middle of the road. Amber blinked, gently pulling on the reigns to get the horse to stop. She hopped out of the saddle; she could afford a delay in her trip if it meant helping that little girl.

 **And that's it. Hope you liked it! ^_^  
Here on out is the part of V3 I've been looking forward to the most: the Fall of Beacon.**


	45. Beginning of the End

**Work and school is hard :"D**

 _Come with me, and you will never be hungry again._

The door chimed as Emerald entered the store. She swallowed, resting her hand on her stomach as it growled. The jewelry store was bright, the fluorescent lights harsh and white. Gems and jewels sat in glass cases; necklaces, rings, and watches in various cases as well.

She kept her arms at her side, walking around the other people in the store, ignoring the sharp glances they shot her. Twelve. She stopped herself from grimacing; doing more than ten was such a pain.

She stopped in front of counter, eyeing the various diamonds on display. Her mouth watered as she looked them over; at the silver and white gold and platinum rings the diamonds rested in.

"May I help you?" She looked up; the jeweler was standing in front of her, faking a smile. She smiled back at him. Thirteen.

"Yes. I was hoping to look at one of your rings." His smile grew; his teeth an unnatural shade of white.

"Of course. A woman such as yourself needs an equally beautiful ring." He pulled the display out, setting it on the glass counter. "Which one were you looking at?"

She looked over the rings, and grinned a little as her eyes rested on a white gold ring with a large diamond in it. That would fetch a fair price. She pointed at it. He nodded his head, pulling it from the display and holding it up, slowly rotating it as he spoke.

"An excellent choice, ma'am. All our gems are minded and purified in Vacuo with some help from the Schnee Dust Company. Three carats and in such a splendidly complex ring."

"How much is it?" she asked.

"Twenty-five thousand lien," he said. His eyes darted to her chest for a moment. "But for you, I can offer it at twenty-three."

She swallowed back her disgust as she smiled at him.

"Can I try it on?"

"Certainly." He gingerly took her hand, and slid the ring onto her finger. It was a little snug as she flexed her hand. She took a deep breath, closing her hand, her head throbbing as she cast the illusion.

The teller continued to smile at her as she back away from him, slipping the ring off her finger and pocketing it. She grit her teeth, her head pounding, and turned and ran, shoving the glass door open and barreling past the old woman on the street. She sprinted down the street, her breathing ragged and her head feeling like it was going to split open as she took a turn and ran down an alley way, ducking behind a dumpster.

She sat clutching her head, gasping for air, her eyes squeezed shut. She hated using it on that many people, this was worse than the time in the bakery. Her breathing began to slow, the throbbing in her head slowly disappearing. She opened her eyes, resting her head on her knees.

Twenty-five thousand. If she got all that from the pawn store she would be set for a while. No sleeping in boxes, no stealing food, no killing another person to have their blanket's during a harsh winter.

She stood up, gasping in surprise. A woman in a red dress stood near the dumpster, a polite smile on her face.

"How'd you do it?" she asked nonchalantly. Emerald narrowed her eyes at her, her hands going to her sickles. The woman frowned. "I wouldn't if I were you." She said. Emerald's eyes darted from the woman's orange eyes to the blades slung over her back.

"I didn't do anything. Now what do you want?" The woman crossed her arms.

"I've met my fair share of liars and thieves. Theft is an art form; sleight of hand, patience, coordination. And yet you do none of that. That ring in your pocket, that man had a smile on his face as he put it on your finger. And you simply walked out of there, his smile never leaving. Most impressive." Emerald frowned.

"Who ae you?" She asked.

The Red Woman's smile grew.

* * *

 _I can give you what your father never could._

Mercury screamed in pain as the dagger was stabbed into his knee. He kicked at his father's face, his boot slamming into his nose. His father grunted in pain, yanking the blade out, and Mercury scrambled away, hissing as a searing pain coursed through his legs. He screamed, falling to the grass, blood running down his other leg. He looked back; the blade was embedded in his calf.

His father was limping towards him, drawing his other dagger. Mercury's eyes widened in fear, and he grabbed the knife, letting out a gurgled cry as he wretched it free, his blood coating the blade. He struggled to his feet, stumbling as he knees tried to give way. His father smirked, twirling his blade. Mercury raised the knife, tightening his grip on the handle as black spots began to appear in his vision, a cold sweat coating his skin.

"You're feeling it, aren't ya, son?" His father said. He stabbed at Mercury, and Mercury parried, getting behind his father. "Taijitu venom's some nasty stuff." Mercury jabbed at his father with a grunt, his father spinning around and blocking the blow. His father grabbed his wrist, yanking him forward and slamming his head into his nose. Mercury stumbled back, crying out in pain. "Ya got some good hits in, I'll give ya that." His father lunged at him, and Mercury gasped, ducking out of his father's slashes, parrying some of them away. "But you shoulda known who you was fuckin with."

His father stabbed forward with a yell, and Mercury grabbed his father's arm, yanking his arm to the side, and stabbing his blade up through his jaw. His father dropped his blade, clawing at Mercury's hands, his body convulsing as the blood gushed down his throat. Mercury snarled, jerking the blade out and stabbing it into his father's heart. His father opened his mouth, blood oozing out, his eyes starting to glaze over. Mercury jerked the blade out, stepping out of the way as his father collapsed onto the dirt.

Mercury dropped the blade, his breathing ragged, his skin clammy and the world almost black. The fire in his legs was gone, replaced with a numbness. There was a sound of clapping and he looked over to see a woman in red slowly clapping, a horrified woman with mint hair staring at him.

He spat, blood filling his spit, and wiped his chin.

"What're you looking at!"

"We saw your fight from the tree line." She motioned to his father's corpse, the fires from their home illuminating his body. "Marcus Black, I assume."

"Yeah."

"And you're his son?" she asked. He nodded, gritting his teeth as his legs gave way. He saw the woman approach him through the black spots in his vision. "Do you have a name?" He nodded.

"Mercury," he said.

"Mercury," the Red Woman purred.

* * *

Sienna narrowed her eyes, gripping her chair. A woman in red and a woman in brown were kneeling before her, their heads bowed, their tails swishing nervously. Her guard's stood by her stiffly, the red blade of their Aura Cutter spears dull in the light.

"If I have this correct, you take me for a fool." Sienna said. The Red Woman looked up at her.

"High Leader, I think you misunderstood our offer," she said. Sienna snorted.

"No, I think you have misunderstood. The White Fang is not some petty gang. We cannot be bought out. I do not care what your employer has in mind, but I know that it will not benefit my people."

"My employer believes that you will be able to achieve your goal if you side with us. We can provide you with supplies, weapons, and funds to help the White Fang bring about a new Faunus Revolution. She wants to see the current order destroyed and bring about a new world. Is that not what you want as well? To lead your people into a new world?" The Red Woman asked.

Sienna stood up, her guard's aiming their spears at the two.

"I will not be the one to make my people slave's to a new master." She motioned towards them with her head. "Get them out of my sight."

* * *

Her horse trotted down the road, swaying her gently. Her eyes were downcast, her hood pulled up.

She should be able to reach the village Qrow had mentioned by the end of the day, if luck was on her side. It wasn't terribly far from Vale, just a week by horse. She didn't have any pressing schoolwork and the hospital was kind enough to let her have that time off.

She slowed her horse to a walk, cocking her head to the side. There was a young girl with mint green hair sitting alone and crying in the middle of the road. Amber blinked, gently pulling on the reigns to get the horse to stop. She hopped out of the saddle; she could afford a delay in her trip if it meant helping that little girl. She ruffled through her saddlebag, pulling out an apple.

She approached the little girl, crouching down in front of her. She smiled at the girl, holding out the apple. The girl sniffled, hesitating before reaching out her ha-

A bit of dust kicked up behind the girl, a faint sound of footsteps. Amber's eyes widened in shock as the girl vanished.

Amber leapt back, drawing her staff, throwing up her barrier, bullet's slamming against it. A woman with mint green hair was running at her, firing as she ran. She dropped her barrier, ducking out of the way of the gunfire, and twirled her staff, a cyclone shooting from the White Dust end.

The Mint Woman let out a cry as she was tossed off her feet, skidding against the dirt as she was blown away. Amber heard someone running and spun towards the noise, throwing up her staff, blocking a kick from a man in gray. The Gray Man flipped off her staff, laughing as he landed in the grass. She could hear Mint sprinting towards her as Gray leapt towards her.

Amber gnashed her teeth, spinning and twirling her staff, slamming the White end into Mint's belly, launching her away and spun around to face Gray, fire spewing from the Red end. She gasped in surprise, and then grunted in pain as Gray sprang from her fire, his metallic legs slamming into her jaw. She was thrown back, her staff falling into the dirt, and skidded to a halt. She coughed, struggling to her feet, Mint and Gray running towards her.

She screamed, energy coursing through her, flames springing from the ends of her eyes. Mint and Gray skidded to a halt, fear on their faces as she rose in the air. The skies turned black, inky clouds materializing above them, rain coming down in sleets, thunder booming and lightning flashing.

Mint fired at her, her bullets slamming against her barrier. Amber raised her hand, pointing at the duo. Their eye's widened as thunder shook the ground, lighting shooting down from the sky. They bolted as the lightning struck, and Amber raised her hands before swinging them down, multiple lightning bolts striking down, her hair standing on ends as they struck.

Grey and Mint leapt out of the way of the various lightning blasts, breathing heavy. Amber sneered, closing her eyes and reaching out. Her eyes snapped open, feeling leaves and trees soar towards her. She turned in the air, watching the two continue to dodge lightning. She snarled, closing her hands into fists, the ice and leaves and trees turning to ice before she hurled them at the two.

Mint screamed in pain as a tree slammed into her, knocking her to the mud, the ice shattering around her. Gray grit his teeth, the ice and frozen leaves slashing at him, ripping his clothes to shreds. Her eyes widened as she heard someone running behind her.

Amber spun around, firing off a bolt of lightning. A red woman with a bow leapt out of the way of the lightning, firing a flaming arrow at her. She threw up her hand, yelping in pain as the arrow slammed into her, shattering her barrier. She yelled as she fell, mud splashing up as she hit the ground, groaning in pain, her world spinning.

She struggled to her feet, gasping for air. Her head swiveled to and fro, where did they go? She scowled, the Red Woman and the others flickering in and out of her vision as they ran at her. Amber raised her fists, struggling to keep her hands from shaking.

The Red Woman lunged at her, her bladed bow slicing against her chest. Amber hissed, her aura crackling around her as she blocked the Red Woman's blows, the blade scraping against her arm guards. She grabbed the woman's arm, twisting it before kicking her away. The Red Woman skidded in the mud, snarling at her as Mint and Gray rushed her.

Gray kicked at her, and she jumped out of the way, twirling in the air to dodge Mint's sickles. She landed, and spun on her heel, slamming her foot into Gray's face. He grunted in pain, and Amber slammed her fist into his gut before head-butting him. He staggered back, grunting, and Amber threw up her barrier as Mint slashed at her with her sickles. Amber dropped her barrier, grabbing Mint's arms and jerking them to the side painfully before kicking Mint in the gut. Mint collapsed, groaning and clutching her stomach.

Amber's body was coated in sweat, her throat burning with each breath. She turned, her eyes widening in fear. The Red Woman smiled at her she fired three flaming arrows. Amber threw up her barrier, gasping in surprise as the arrows landed at her feet. The flames shot up the arrows shaft before exploding.

Amber screamed, her aura breaking and heat washing over her as she was blown back. She got to her feet, and cried out in pain as she fell to her knees. She looked up to see the Red Woman approaching, smiling coyly. Amber gnashed her teeth, and swung her arm, winds gusting forward and buffeting the trio. The Red Woman was blown away, her bow landing in the mud, Mint struggling to keep his footing in the mud. Amber got to her feet, lightning firing from her hand, the bolt striking him in the chest, launching him away; his scream of pain cathartic to her ears. She spun around, lighting shooting from her hands, Mint screaming as the electricity hit her, coursing through her body. Mint collapsed, smoke billowing from her.

Amber limped forward, scooping her staff up, and leaning on it for support. She stopped before Mint, towering over her. Mint weakly raised her head, her eyes bloodshot, her breathing coming out in pained gasps. Amber snarled and raised her staff, flames licking the Red end.

She gasped; a stabbing pain shot through her back. She dropped her staff, collapsing onto the ground. She felt blood start to run down her back. She grasped at the arrow, and grunted as she felt her arms get grabbed and pulled back. She screamed as Mint dug her heel into her back, Gray yanking out the arrow. The Red Woman approached, a soul less smile stretching across her face as she donned a white glove. Amber thrashed around, trying in vain to free her arms. She swallowed, her throat dry as the Red Woman stopped before her, raising her gloved hand. There was clicking, and a Grimm beetle sprang from the glove, clicking its pinchers and craning its head as its beady red eyes stared at her. Her blood turned to ice, and she thrashed harder.

"Gods, no!" she screamed. The Red Woman's smile grew. The beetle screeched, a black goo shooting from its maw and splattering against her face. Amber screamed, her face feeling like it was melting off, her body burning from the inside, her soul feeling like it was being ripped from her body.

* * *

Raven sprinted forward, breathing hard.

The Red Woman was smirking as Amber screamed in pain, her aura flickering orange around her. Raven drew her sword, leaping towards them with a yell. The woman's head jerked towards her in shock as Raven swung her blade, severing the black webbing. The woman leapt back, sneering at her. She swung her sword, the woman's two lackeys dropping Amber and ducking away from her blade.

Amber collapsed, her aura flickering. Raven looked away from her, gripping the hilt of her blade as she faced the Red Woman.

The white glove on the woman's arm faded rapidly, the veins in her arm turning ink black. The woman cackled as she looked up at her, her laugh sending a chill down Raven's spine. The woman's eyes were glowing orange, fire spewing from the corners. Raven tightened her grip, raising her sword. The woman raised her hand, smiling, her finger pointed past Raven. Raven frowned before her eyes widened.

Raven spun around, leaping towards Amber's body, grabbing her and rolling. Searing heat washed over her back, fire spewing into the air behind her. She grit her teeth, curling further around Amber, the heat excruciating.

The heat disappeared, and Raven looked over her shoulder; the woman was gone, a large char marking the mud. Raven sighed and uncurled herself from Amber, resting her in her lap. Her nose wrinkled in disgust at the remains of her face.

The left side of Amber's face had been peeled of its skin, her eye a fleshy red blob. Cuts covered the right side of her chin, blood oozing out and running down her neck, staining her shirt.

Raven sighed.

* * *

 _I can give you and your daughter a fresh start._

There was a banging at the door and Roman's head jerked up. He stood up, grabbing his cane, motioning for Neo to stay put. He went to the door as it banged again. He threw the door open, his cane raised, his eyes widening in surprise.

A young woman in a red dress was at his doorstep. Her bright orange eyes lacked any warmth. The woman smiled at him.

"Roman Torchwick I assume." She said. Roman narrowed his eyes, slowly lowering his cane.

"Who's asking?" The woman peeked over his shoulder, and Roman stepped in her way. "Not a smart idea," he said. The woman only smiled. He stepped forward, shutting the door behind him, towering over the woman.

"You're the best Dust trafficker in Vale, right?" she asked. His gaze was hard as he glared at her. "I have a gig for you, Roman. My employer and I are going to change this world. And I need you to do what you do best." The woman's smile grew, her canine's sharp. "And it would certainly be a travesty if Nero were to find out where you and Neo were hiding."

Roman's eyes shot open, jerking his arm up to swing his cane. He grunted in pain, biting his tongue as the woman grabbed his throat, hoisting him into the air, slamming him against the door. Flame's sputtered from the woman's eyes, her grip tightening as she spoke.

"Now, now Roman, no need for that. You don't want to lose your daughter now do you?" He struggled to shake his head, her grip a vice. She smiled coyly. "You want this gig, don't you Roman? To be on the winning side, to ensure your daughter gets to grow old in this new world." Roman swallowed, nodding. "Good boy." She released him.

He gasped for air, slumping against the door, rubbing his throat. She turned her back to him, dropping a piece of paper from her other hand.

"You and your daughter will meet me at those coordinates. Don't disappoint me." Roman watched her leave, massaging his throat.

* * *

 _We can break your people's chains._

Adam eyed the map pinned to the wall of his tent.

"She… she's really betrayed us? She's gone?" Adam sighed and looked over at her. Ilia's skin was a dark shade of blue, her hair and eyes black.

"She won't be for long." He said. Her eyes flashed red for a brief second before returning to black.

"You're sure you can convince her to come back?" He smiled.

"She loves me. She'll do whatever I ask her to do." Ilia frowned. The tent flaps opened behind them and they looked back; Cerise stood in the entrance, his expression hard.

"A human is here to speak with you." Adam frowned, glancing at Ilia. She returned the look, and donned her Grimm mask. He grabbed his own of his table, buckling his sword on as he left his tent.

Three humans stood before his tent; a woman in red, a woman in brown, and a man in gray. The woman in brown and the man in gray carried suitcases.

"Lieutenant Adam Taurus, leader of the Vale White Fang." The Red Woman bowed her head and looked back up at him with a smile. "A pleasure to meet you."

Adam drew his sword; the red woman's smile didn't falter.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"I have a proposition for you." The man in gray and woman in brown lowered the suitcases, opening them. They were filled with lien and Dust crystals. "My employer is as powerful as she is ambitious. With your help we plan on bringing this world into a new state. The old ways will die, the Kingdom's will be overthrown, and we will be the ones on top." She started to pace. "I gave Sienna Khan this same offer and she refused. She did not want to have the resources to begin a new Faunus Revolution. She did not want to help end the human tyranny of this world." The Red Woman stopped, motioning to the open suitcases.

"We can provide you and your organization all the tools you will need to secure your people's dominion in this new world we will be creating." The woman's smile grew. "So, what will it be, Adam?"

Adam glanced between her and the two suitcase. At his Siblings watching from their tents.

He sheathed his sword.

* * *

Yang felt the tear's slide down her face as she was jerked to her feet, the cuffs cold and heavy. Her feet felt like lead as the soldier forced her to move. She craned her neck, looking back at Mercury as two paramedics eased him onto a stretcher, his patella sticking out of his blood soaked pant leg.

"Eyes forward." The soldier ordered. Yang swallowed, looking ahead. She could hear the mech's walking behind her, the jeering from the crowd growing louder as she neared the arena exit.

* * *

Emerald jogged alongside Mercury's stretcher, holding onto his hand. He groaned and gasped in pain as the two medics carried him.

"We have an ambulance ready!" a voice shouted. The medics stopped and looked over at a woman in a medic uniform, her eyes orange. The two medics looked at each other before following after the woman as she jogged to a medical air bus.

They rested the stretcher down, and Emerald sat next to the stretcher. The two medics turned to the woman as she entered the ship.

"I can take it from here," the woman said. They nodded.

"He's hurt pretty bad." One said. The other looked at Emerald.

"He'll be alright miss, your friend will be fine." Emerald nodded at them, clutching Mercury's hand.

The two medics left, the air bus door sliding shut. Emerald dropped Mercury's hand and he let out a laugh, sitting up.

"I always told my dad I was a good actor." Mercury said. Emerald rolled her eyes, Cinder walking past them and to the pilot seat.

"I think you both did a marvelous job." Cinder said.

The ship jolted as it started, Emerald's stomach doing flips as the ship took off and started to soar through the air.

* * *

"Tragedy struck the Amity Coliseum during the One on One round tonight. Xiao Long Yang, a student of Bea-"

"What that kid did was out of line. I have no idea what goes on at those Hunter school's bu-"

"Due to the events that transpired during the Vytal Tournament tonight, there has been a large surge in Grimm activity with large Grimm have been sighted on Vale's Wall. The soldier's brought in from Atlas have so far proved ineffective against the surge and the Vale Council has issued a request from any and all Hunter's in the loca-"

The tv switched off and Mercury groaned in annoyance.

"I was watching that. I wanna see the fruits of my labor." He said. Emerald shot him a dirty look as Cinder crossed her arms.

"That's nothing compared to what comes next, Mercury." Cinder said. Mercury smirked, and reached for a small flat head.

"What do we do next?" Emerald asked. Cinder smiled, resting against the tv stand.

"You and I are going to make sure that the next round goes as smoothly as this one did. Can't leave that poor audience in want, now can we?" Mercury motioned to himself with the screwdriver.

"What do I gotta do?" he asked.

"Nothing at the moment. Just stay low until the end. That shouldn't be too hard now should it?" Mercury nodded his head, smirking.

"Can do," he said, beginning the repair work on his leg.


	46. Destiny

**And here's the next chapter, hope you like it! I actually teared up a little writing some of these parts.**

Ironwood's body was stiff as he stood in their room. Blake's ears were pinned to her head as he talked.

"I'm sorry, but you have left us with no choice." Ironwood said. Yang threw up her hands in exasperation.

"I swear he attacked me!" Ironwood started to pace.

"Video evidence and millions of eyewitness testimony say otherwise." Weiss scowled.

"Yang would never do that!" She said.

"Yeah!" Ruby said, standing up from her bed. Ironwood sighed and looked back at them.

"You all seem like good students. The teacher's here speak very highly of you. They don't think you would lash out like that under normal circumstances. And I hope that this is all just a result of stress and adrenaline. I know that when you're out there on the battlefield that your judgement isn't always reliable. You'll see things the wrong way, or things that aren't even there. Even after the battle is finished."

"But-!"

"Enough!" Ironwood shouted. Weiss flinched, Ruby sat back down, Yang shrank away from the General. His face was stern, his jaw set. "The sad truth is that it does not matter whether or not it was an accident. All of Remnant saw you attack an innocent student, and it is my job to inform you that your team has been disqualified from the Tournament."

Yang's jaw fell as she stared at him in shock, her eyes starting to water. His expression didn't change. He turned and left, the door clicking as it shut. Yang looked up at them, worry swimming in her amethyst eyes.

"You guys believe me, right?" she asked.

"Of course!" Ruby exclaimed. Weiss nodded.

"I know you, Yang. You're not ruthless like that." she said.

Blake felt their eyes as they all looked at her expectantly. She stayed quiet, His face filling her mind.

Ruby's eyes widened, and she and Weiss looked at each other, Weiss' jaw falling.

"Blake?" Yang's voice cut into her heart. She saw Yang watching her, tears welling.

"I want to believe you," she finally said. Yang started to cry, her voice uneven

"Blake?" Weiss turned on her, her icy eyes full of anger.

"Just what do you mean by that! Yang would never do that!" She exclaimed. Blake's ears got flatter. "How can you say that, Blake? Yang has never lied to us!"

The guard was slumped against the wall, a puddle of blood surrounding him, his chest torn apart by buckshot.

"It was an accident. He tried to attack me," Adam said.

Blake blinked, shaking her head. She looked around at them, not looking at Weiss; she couldn't stand to see her lover look at her like that. She sighed.

"Adam's change wasn't done in an instant. It was gradual, and when it first started, he would say things like, 'it was an accident', 'it was self-defense', and he told me not to worry when all those accidents started to pile up. After a while I started to think that what he was doing was right." Blake looked away. "This just feels… really familiar." She looked over at Yang, each tear a cut on heart. "And you're not him but…" She took a breath. "You did shove me against this bed when I was obsessing over the White Fang. And you tore apart a club. And," Blake motioned to the scar on Yang's lip. "All of that. I want to believe that you wouldn't hurt an innocent person the way you did but…" Yang hiccupped, fresh tears spilling out.

"I'm willing to believe you." She finally said. "But I want you to look me in the eyes and swear to me that you saw him attack first and truly regret what you did." Yang nodded, sniffling. She wiped at her eyes before staring at her, their eyes locking.

"Mercury attacked me, and I attacked back." Her eyes were full of regret, sadness, loneliness. Blake couldn't see the lies or the rage like in Him. Blake nodded.

"I believe you. Sorry for doubting you." Yang wiped at her eyes again.

"I'm gonna get some rest. I kinda wanna be alone right now." She said. Blake stood up, Ruby and Weiss doing the same. She smiled at Yang.

"We'll leave you be," she said.

She went to the door, holding it open for Weiss and Ruby. She stepped into the hallway, and Ruby gently closed the door. Weiss sighed.

"This is such a mess." She said. Blake looked over as JNPR's dorm room opened. Jaune peeked his head out.

"How's she doing?" he asked. Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora were watching them from over his shoulder. Blake rubbed her arm.

"As well as you can expect." She said.

"Mercury and his team all left after the incident so no one can ask him what happened until they land." Ruby said. Ren nodded in understanding.

"If there is anything we can do, just let us know," he said. Ruby nodded.

"In that case…" Ruby looked over at Pyrrha. Pyrrha had sat back down on her bunk, staring at the ground, her hands in her lap. "Pyrrha?" Pyrrha looked over at them. Ruby smiled. "Win this for our school, okay?" Pyrrha hesitated, her smile forced.

"I'll try," she said.

"I'll be at the arena tonight, encase you're picked. I'll be rooting for you!" Ruby said. Pyrrha's smile fell, and she looked back down at the floor.

Blake sighed, resting her hands on her hips.

"I'll be skipping the rest of the tournament. I've had enough fight's for this year." Weiss nodded.

"Same," she said. Weiss looked at her and smiled, offering her hand.

"Coffee sound good?" Blake smiled back, grasping Weiss' hand.

"Tea sounds better."

* * *

Nora chewed on her lip as Jaune watched Ruby, Blake and Weiss leave before shutting the door. Nora watched Pyrrha sit on her bunk and stare at the floor with those solemn eye. She glanced over at Ren. Their eyes connected, and he nodded in agreement. Nora smirked as she turned to Pyrrha.

She jumped in front of Pyrrha, their faces centimeters apart. Pyrrha yelped in surprise.

"You heard em, Pyrrha! We need to get your butt into fighting shape!" She stepped back, flexing her rather impressive muscles. "This could be the most super-duper important fight ever, and we can't have you go and lose that now can we?" Pyrrha watched her, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Nora's right," Ren said. They looked over at him to see him shaking an energy bottle, the contents a slime green. "You're going to be fighting in the most super-duper important fight of your life; you'll be defending our school's honor. And this right here," he held up the drink. "Will help you do it. A mixture of kale, and a few other vegetables and vitamins. A super drink for a super warrior. No thanks will be necessary." Nora faked a gagging noise.

"Thank you? Pssh, why would she want to drink that vegan garbage?" Ren shot her a pointed stare.

"Try it for yourself, mighty hammer swinger," he said, handing her the drink. She looked at the thick green liquid before taking a drink. It tasted delicious, like everything he made. She made a retching sound, handing him the drink back, dramatically gagging and falling to her knees.

"Ren! Help! The vegetables! They're too much for me!" She flopped onto the ground, a dying groan escaping her lips.

"Hmm. I'll use less lake bed algae next time." Ren said. Nora perked her head up, looking up at Pyrrha. She was smiling, resting a hand on her lips.

"Thank you." She said. Nora sprung to her feet, resting her hands on her hips.

"Any time, Pyrrha!" She looked over at Jaune. He motioned towards the door with his head. Nora looked back at Pyrrha. "Let's go out for some fresh air. I bet I can win you a ton of stuffed animals."

Pyrrha laughed.

* * *

The door was unlocked, and slid open noiselessly as Qrow entered. Yang was laying on her side on her bed, her hair covering her face. He shut the door and leaned against the wall.

"Hey there, firecracker," he said. Yang turned, her hair falling to the side. Her voice was quiet as she spoke.

"Hey, Uncle Qrow." He crossed his arms.

"Why'd you do it?" Yang's lip quivered as she spoke.

"He attacked me Uncle Qrow. I swear he did." She sat up, resting her hands in her lap, her head hanging low. "You believe me right?" Qrow stepped away from the wall, his hands in his pockets as he paced the room.

"Maybe. Hard to say." Yang was quiet for a little while before he heard her sniff. He looked over at her to see her wipe at her eyes.

"Uncle Qrow?"

"Yeah?" Yang looked over at him, her eyes wet and puffy.

"I met my mom." His lips parted and Yang looked away as she spoke. "Before the Breach, I took a really bad hit." Her hand rubbed at the white scar on her stomach. "And I thought I was gonna die. And out of nowhere a woman with a red sword showed up and scared her away. She left without a word, and left me an aura booster." Yang swallowed. "After the Breach, I woke up to a bird at my window. It was like it was calling to me, to come down to the courtyard. I went down there and… it was her."

"Let me guess, she asked you to come live with her?" Yang's head snapped up, her eyes wide in surprise.

"How'd you know that?" Qrow went to the bed opposite of Yang, taking a seat.

"I don't see my sister very often but she does try to keep in touch." Anger flashed in Yang's eyes.

"You've been talking to her this entire time?! Why didn't you tell me?! Why didn't she visit me?!" Yang looked away, fresh tears running down. "Why, Uncle Qrow?"

"My sister and I… we don't really see eye to eye. We disagree about a lot of things, and I don't particular agree with her world view. She wanted me to tell you something though."

"Tell me what?"

"That her offer still stands." Yang frowned, her hands curling into fists.

"She said a lot of weird stuff when I met her. That…that Beacon was going to fall, and stuff like that. And…" Yang's nose wrinkled with disgust. "She called Ruby my brother." Qrow sighed.

"That would be one of the things I don't see eye to eye with her about." Yang looked down at her lap, her fists uncurling. There was silence and Qrow pulled out his flask, twisting the top off.

"Uncle Qrow?"

"Yeah?" Yang paused, taking a deep breath before speaking.

"How…how did Summer die?" The flask fell from his hand.

Her silver eyes as they widened, her sharp gasp of pain. The crimson soaking through. Her lip quivered, blood drooling down her chin. Her voice hardly above a whisper as she spoke.

"-Qrow?"

He looked up, shaking his head. Yang was watching him, concern on her face.

"I said are you okay, Uncle Qrow?" He shook his head, picking the empty flask off the floor. His eyes were watery.

"I'll tell you that when you're older, kiddo." He pocketed the flask, going to the window, feeling Yang's eyes on his back. He wiped at his eyes before speaking. "I believe you, Yang. About seeing him attack you. You're my niece, and I'll stick by you to the end. And if you ever wanna get in touch with your mom." He turned to her, flashing a smile. "I can help."

Yang smiled back.

* * *

The air was frigid, a gentle breeze blowing, golden brown leaves blowing in the air. Pyrrha walked under the archway next to the cafeteria, her head hung low. She shivered, wrapping her arms around her body, her exposed arms thankful for the warmth.

Amber's scar ridden body, her labored breathing.

Pyrrha stopped, her arms falling to her side, and squeezed her eyes shut. She heard flapping and then a loud _caw_. She opened her eyes and looked over; a large black raven sat in the bare branches of a tree, its red eyes staring at her. She looked at it warily, and started to walk again. She gasped, looking down as she stepped on something. A slip of paper. She bent down and gingerly picked it up, turning it over.

 _Don't trust them_

Pyrrha narrowed her eyes, looking back at the raven. It cocked its head to the side, before letting out a loud _caw_. The raven cawed again, jumping off the branch and flying away. Pyrrha looked at the slip of paper again before sighing, pocketing it.

She sat down, leaning against the cafeteria wall, closing her eyes. The wind blew around her, the world quiet and cold. She pulled out her scroll, swallowing before opening her eyes. She pulled up her contacts, all eight of them, and pressed the one she dreaded the most. She put her scroll to her ear, listening to it ring.

"Hello, Pyrrha." Her mother said.

"Hi, mom." she said.

"I saw your fight in the last round. You need to step up your training." Pyrrha sighed.

"Mom?"

"What?" Pyrrha rested a hand over her eyes, her tears warm against her chilled hand.

"If I were to disappear… if I couldn't be a Hunter or fight in tournaments anymore. Would you still lo-" she shook her head. "Would you care about me at all?" Her mother was silent for a moment.

"What kind of a question is that?" Pyrrha sniffed, the tears warming her cheeks.

"What would you do if I died?"

"Pyrrha? Pyrrha you're scaring me. What happened?" Pyrrha lip twitched; this was the most concern she'd ever heard from her before. She shook her head, as if her mother could see her.

"I can't tell you." Pyrrha didn't bother moving her scroll as her mother's shrewish voice blew up her ear.

"What do you mean you can't tell me! You call me out of the blue and say all those things and won't even tell me what's wrong? Pyrrha, what is going on?"

"Mom."

"Yes, Pyrrha, what?" The fire in her voice had died off.

"Do you love me?" Her mother hesitated.

"Of course I do," she said. Pyrrha smiled; a comforting lie.

"Thank you." Pyrrha hung up, pocketing her scroll. She rested her head on her knees, her body trembling.

* * *

She was sitting alone, her body trembling as he walked up. He stopped next to her, and cleared his throat. She looked up at him, her eyes red and watery. He held out the bag of popcorn he had, offering a weak smile.

"It's no vegan juice, but I thought you might like this," he said. She hesitated for a moment before taking the bag, resting it in her lap.

"Thanks."

The wind blew, the gust icy. Pyrrha shivered, goosebumps crawling up her legs and arms. Jaune's expression fell, and he sat down next to her, resting his hand on hers.

"Hey Pyrrha."

"Yes, Jaune?" she asked. He gave her hand a squeeze.

"You were the first person believe in me. Did you know that?" Pyrrha shook her head.

"My family never thought I could be a Hunter; I was too weak and frail. The only subject I really did well at in school was first aid. I got along with all of my sisters but none of them thought I could be like Dijon or our grandfather. And my dad, well, he thought I was a failure for most of my life. I never told them that I was coming here. I just took the family heirlooms and left." Pyrrha intertwined her fingers with his. "But you? You've always been there for me. Even though I never deserved it." He paused. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I can tell that something is bothering you, and I want to help. I want to be there for you like you've been there for me."

Pyrrha smiled at him, and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You're already helping," she said, closing her eyes.

They sat together for a moment, the only sound the gentle breeze and the swaying of the trees.

Pyrrha let go of his hand, moving her head, and scooting away.

"I don't know what to do, Jaune." He cocked his head to the side.

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha looked at him, her body stiff.

"Do you believe in destiny?" she asked. Jaune cocked an eyebrow.

"I-I don't know. I've never given it a lot of thought." Pyrrha looked away, resting her hands in her lap, her hands fidgeting as she spoke.

"To me, destiny isn't some predetermined fate that the Gods have put you on that you can never escape from. Your destiny… it's like your final goal. The thing that you spend your entire life aiming to achieve."

"Make sense," Jaune said.

"So what would you do if something that you never expected were to come along and stand between you and your destiny?"

"Lik-" Pyrrha's hands shot up, motioning with them rapidly.

"Or what if something came up that could help you achieve your destiny right then and there, what would you do? What if that something came at the cost of who you are?" Jaune reached a hand out to Pyrrha's shoulder.

"You're not making any sense." Pyrrha stood up, brushing past his hand. She took a few steps, wrapping her arms around her body, her voice thick with emotion.

"Nothing makes sense! I never wanted it to be like this!" she said. Jaune stood up, stepping towards her.

"Pyrrha, please, talk to me. I want to understand." Pyrrha sniffed, her back rigid.

"I've always seen my destiny as being someone who helped Remnant. I wanted to do that by becoming a Huntress. I want to protect this world." She snorted. "And it's become clear to me that that I was right about what my destiny was." She turned to him, the golden orange light glinting off her armor. "And I don't know if I can go through with it."

"Pyrrha, if you think your destiny is to protect this world then I know for a fact that you can do it. You've never backed down from a challenge, and I can't see you failing now."

Pyrrha's mouth fell open, and she covered her mouth with her hands, squeezing her eyes shut as she started to cry, her hands muffling her hiccups. Jaune's heart sank, and he stepped towards her.

"Pyrrha?" She shook her head, turning and bolting, running away from him. "Pyrrha wait!" He ran out from under the canopy; she was already gone. His lip trembled. "What did I say?"

* * *

Her camera clicked as she snapped another photo of Sun and Neptune. Velvet flashed them a smile, and motioned for them to do another pose. Sun and Neptune looked past her, smiling. Velvet looked behind her and smiled as well.

"Ruby, so good to see you," she said. Ruby waved.

"Hi Vevlet. Hey Sun, hey Neptune. What are you up to?" Ruby asked.

"Oh nothing, just having those two help me with my photography." She smiled, shoving her camera towards Ruby's face. "Whatcha think?" Ruby looked at the photo, cocking an eyebrow before smiling.

"You've certainly been improving," she said. Velvet smiled, collapsing her camera and stowing it away.

"Thank you, Ruby." Velvet crossed her arms. "How has Yang been holding up?" Ruby rubbed the back of her head.

"She's doing okay. She's resting in our dorm right now." Velvet nodded.

"I think it's awful all the stuff the news and everyone else are saying about her. They've never seen combat, they have no idea what it's like when you're out there. Everyone gets scared on the battlefield, and sometimes that starts to affect that person mentally." Velvet shook her head. "Yang's a sweet person, she doesn't deserve all of this." Ruby sighed.

"Glad you think so." Ruby blinked, giving her a look. "Wait, what did you say?"

"Hm? Which part?"

"About fights affecting a person's mentality, what did you mean?"

"Just that with all of the things we see, some of us are bound to develop a few mental disorders. If it can happen to Coco, it can happen to anyone." Ruby cocked her head to the side.

"Coco? She has a mental disorder?" Velvet nodded.

"She swore she saw Yatsu with her in the forest during her fight with Emerald and Mercury. But he never made it out of the geyser fields. After the fight she visited Doctor Duerf and he said her PTSD caused her to have a stressed induced hallucination." Velvet uncrossed her arms. "Maybe Yang should give him a visit, she has been through a lot."

Ruby frowned, appearing deep in thought.

"Yeah." Velvet smiled, pulling out her camera. Ruby cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Care if I take a few pics?" Ruby smiled, and struck a pose.

* * *

Ruby opened the door to the dorm, the hallway light brightening the desolate room. She walked in, looking around the room as she entered.

It hardly looked like it had been lived in; the beds were immaculate, no laundry anywhere, no personal belongings on the shelves, walls, or desks. She went to the closet, and opened it; nothing. She frowned, and closed it.

* * *

Emerald watched her, scowling. Ruby went over to the bathroom door, opening it, and peeking her head inside. Ruby frowned again and shut the door, resting her hands on her hips.

Emerald reached for her sickles, drawing them, stiffening at the sound of the chains extending. Ruby's head snapped over to her location, her silver eyes appearing to glow in the low light. Emerald held her breath as Ruby stared at her part of the room for several minutes.

Ruby shrugged, and turned and left the room, the door clicking shut behind her.

Emerald exhaled, sheathing her sickles.

* * *

The sun was setting, its orange light casting her in shadows. Penny rested her chin on her knees, the breeze gentle as it blew. She held her hand out in front of her; her synthetic flesh was so smooth, so free of any disfigurement. So fake. She sighed, lowering her hand.

All of the flowers in the gardens were beginning to wilt, all of the bugs that had lived there were dead or gone now. The red roses she had loved sniffing so much were just withered husks, Ms. Black Widow's web having long disappeared.

Her chin slid down, her forehead resting on her head.

 _Not real_

She lifted her head, looking up at the tree she sat under; it's leaves a golden brown. The breeze blew again, a leaf breaking free and dancing in the wind.

"Penny?" She looked over; Ruby stood in the grass, her head cocked to the side. "What are you doing out here? Aren't you cold?" she asked. Penny shook her head, looking down at the grass. She heard Ruby sit down next to her. She saw Ruby playing with her hands from the corner of her eye before Ruby reached out, hesitating slightly, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. Ruby leaned against her, resting her head on her shoulder.

"Ruby…"

"Yeah?" Penny looked away, the brown grass swaying with the breeze.

"What happens when we die?" Ruby lifted her arm off of her, raising her head. Penny looked over at her; her eyes had widened in surprise, her mouth parted.

"W-why? Is everything okay?" Penny wrapped her arms around her legs, tucking her knees to her chest.

"I'm different than you, Ruby. My body, my… my s-soul were all given to me. Forced onto me." She watched the dead leaves dance. "When I 'die', this body will just be brought back. But what made me me, what makes me a real girl, that will all be gone." She hiccupped, feeling the tears start to slide down her cheeks. "Where will I go, Ruby? When I finally shut down, what happens to me?"

Ruby was silent, opening and closing her hands several times before resting them in her lap.

"I don't really know, Penny," she said. "After my mom died I asked Yang that question, and she told me that we don't go anywhere." She snorted. "She might be right, there's no way to know. But…" Ruby slid her hand towards Penny, and Penny grasped her hand. Ruby gave her hand a comforting squeeze. "I know some people believe that when we die, we just come back. That what makes us, us just comes back in a new body."

 _A new body_

Penny's eyes darted to their held hands. She leaned her head against Ruby's shoulder. She looked at the setting sun, at the dying trees and plants, the air icy.

"It's like the seasons," Penny mumbled.

"I guess so. I don't really think about that kind of stuff." Ruby said. She snorted. "I remember hearing how the Faunus think that when you find your soulmate, you run into them every new lifetime." Penny looked up and saw Ruby smile. "I never really gave love or any of that stuff a thought until I met you." Penny closed her eyes, giving Ruby's hand a squeeze.

"I hope that if that is true, that we keep running into each other." She felt Ruby kiss the top of her head, her lips gentle.

"Me too."

* * *

It was loud as Ruby climbed the stadium steps, and walking down the aisle to get to her seat. People were talking loudly, the remaining combatants standing in the center of the arena. The logo of the Vytal Festival spun on the gray screens around the arena. Oobleck's voice boomed over the loudspeaker.

"Alright, it's time for the randomization process!" The screens began to spin, slowing to a stop. Ruby smiled, a beep signaling the first fighter.

"Penny Polendina of Atlas!" Port declared. The second picture slowed to a stop.

"Versus Pyrrha Nikos of Beacon!"

The other contestants left the stand, Pyrrha and Penny going to opposite ends of the arena as it rose into the air.

Ruby saw a flash of mint green on the other side of the arena and narrowed her eyes, squinting.

"Is that? Emerald?" She saw Emerald take a seat in the front row, smiling as she watched Pyrrha and Penny. Ruby's eyes widened, her mind racing.

 _I swear he attacked me!_

 _She swore she saw Yatsu with her in the forest_

 _The sound of chains in an empty room_

Ruby sprang from her seat, beginning to hyperventilating.

"Oh no."

 **And that's it.**


	47. PvP

The arena floor ascended into the air, sending a jolt up Pyrrha's back as it came to a halt. Penny's eyes were downcast, her hands interlaced and resting against her chest. Penny looked up at her as the announcer's talked

"Let's do our best," Penny said.

Pyrrha said nothing, looking at her hands as she flexed her fingers.

* * *

Ruby bolted from her seat, sprinting down the steps, dashing towards the arena edge.

She gagged as something grabbed her hood, yanking her back, and wrapping her in a tight embrace. She started to thrash around, grunting as she strained to get an arm, a leg, anything free.

"Noncombatants are not allowed on the arena floor, Miss. Get back to your seat." The security guard said. Ruby squirmed in his grip; a pair of mechs and another guard heading over to them.

"You don't understand! They're in danger! She's going to get hurt!" The approaching guard cocked an eyebrow and looked between her and the guard holding her.

"We've taken precautions so this round doesn't turn out like that last one, Miss. No one's going to get permanently injured."

Ruby thrashed harder, grunting, straining against his iron vice of a grip.

* * *

Penny drew her swords, all ten of them, as the announcers began to count down. Pyrrha drew her spear, her shield remaining on her back.

"Begin!"

Penny twirled her swords around her as Pyrrha charged at her. Penny launched her blade's forward, Pyrrha leaping between them. Penny frowned, pulling her swords back.

Pyrrha jabbed at her with her spear, Penny grit her teeth as her swords swung up, catching the spear. Pyrrha frowned, yanking her spear back and slashing at her. Pyrrha jabbed and slashed, Penny's blades serving as a wall of metal.

Penny pushed forward, her swords slashing against the ground, gashing holes in the floor before ripping up, slashing Pyrrha's chest, sparks jumping off her armor. Pyrrha leapt back, gritting her teeth, glancing down at the cuts in her corset. Penny pushed forward launching her swords forward.

Pyrrha jumped onto one of her blades, leaping from that one to the one in front before pouncing towards her with a yell, swinging her spear down. Penny gasped, throwing her arms in front of her, her swords rushing up to parry Pyrrha's stab. Pyrrha back-flipped off her swords, skidding to a halt, and narrowed her eyes as she looked at her. Pyrrha rose up, her shield sliding onto her arm.

Penny dashed forward, slashing and stabbing with her swords, Pyrrha blocking them with her shield, parrying them with her spear. Pyrrha ducked under the blades as Penny swung them, and jabbed forward, stabbing at her. Penny gasped, the blade slamming against her aura. Pyrrha twirled her spear, slamming the staff end into her face before jabbing it into her gut.

She fell to the ground, groaning, and rolled to the side as Pyrrha stabbed downward, her spear embedding into the metal. Penny sprung to her feet, falling to her knees, and scowling, her swords floating around her. Pyrrha yanked her spear free, and stopped.

Penny looked up, her lips parting; sparks rained down around them, the arena lights flickering between red and white. The arena screens were being distorted by static, their pictures flickering.

Penny looked back over at Pyrrha-

She grunted in pain, as Pyrrha kicked her, knocking her away. Penny grit her teeth, aiming her swords at Pyrrha, green plasma shooting out. Pyrrha's eyes widened in surprise, and she leapt out of the way of the blasts. Penny twirled her blades, the lines of plasma charring the arena grounds, and Pyrrha ducking and leaping out the way.

Penny pulled her swords back, her blades circling in front of her. She pulled her arms back, and punched forward with a yell, a giant beam of plasma firing forth.

Pyrrha threw up her shield, contorting her body behind it as the plasma slammed into her. Pyrrha skid against the ground before being thrown off her feet, her shield flying off to the side. Pyrrha hit the arena floor, groaning, her spear clutched in her hand. Penny pulled her arms back, her swords floating around her.

Penny walked towards Pyrrha, her blades twirling around her. Pyrrha coughed, rising to her knees, and looked up. Fear shot through Pyrrha's eyes and she leapt backwards, stabbing at thin air. Pyrrha twirled her spear, jabbing it behind her, at nothing. Penny stopped.

* * *

Oobleck watched Pyrrha slash at nothing, spinning around and jabbing at thin air. The arena floodlights were flickering, sparks jumping as all of the lights turned red. The arena screens were flickering, static over the speaker.

Oobleck pressed on his ear piece, glancing over at Port.

"What's happening down there?" The voice on the other line was hard to hear, the voice broken up by static.

"We do- -ow!" Oobleck scowled, turning in his chair.

"End the match, get them out of there!"

"We ca-! We ha- no –ntrol ove- the –rena!" Oobleck grit his teeth, ripping his headset off.

"What in Dusts name is happening?" Port asked.

* * *

Penny lowered her swords, cocking her head to the side. Pyrrha was hacking at the air, grunting, and moving like she was dodging attacks. Pyrrha's body was coated in sweat, the red lights making her look like she was drenched in blood. Penny looked back at the arena screen; her picture being warped and distorted by the static. A red X was over her picture.

She turned back towards Pyrrha, and started to walk towards her. Her aura flickered as she turned it off, hearing a beeping come from the screens. The arena floor would lower if her aura was at zero, right? She held up a hand gently, trying to keep her voice steady as she spoke.

"Pyrrha?" Pyrrha turned, glaring at her, her spear in hand. Penny smiled wider, opening her hands, trying to appear as unthreatening as possible. "It is okay, you have won the match now, you can stop fi-"

The words hitched in her throat. Penny's stomach began to go numb. Pyrrha snarled at her, thrusting the spear further in. Penny screamed, feeling herself get lifted into the air before being flung over Pyrrha's shoulder. She slammed into the arena floor, grunting, gasping. She could hear the audience's gasps and screams.

Her hand went to her stomach, her body starting to tremble. Penny raised her hand, starting to hyperventilate. Blood, oh Gods blood, it was her blood, oh Gods. She heard footsteps, and looked up, eyes wide in terror. Pyrrha stalked towards her, her green eyes cold, her spear bloody, her body red like a demons.

Penny scrambled to her feet, hissing and grabbing her stomach, the warm blood gushing between her fingers. She held up her other hand, backing away.

"Pyrrha! Please!"

* * *

Pyrrha walked forward, the Beowolf growling as it backed away from her, black blood gushing from the wound in its belly. Miló switched to its rifle form, and Pyrrha took aim. The Beowolf growled again, raising a claw as she fired.

The wolf cried out as its leg was blown off at the knee, collapsing and howling in pain. Pyrrha ignored the screams coming from the arena; she had no idea how the Grimm got in, but they needed to be stopped before they hurt someone.

She approached the wolf, tossing Miló into her other hand as it turned into a spear. The wolf growled again, reaching up at her with its paw. Pyrrha stopped in front of the wolf, scowling. She thrusted downward, the growl from the wolf ending in a gurgled cry as her spear cut through its neck.

The wolf's head rolled, resting against her foot, black blood oozing from its neck. The screaming from the arena grew louder, and Pyrrha looked up at them in confusion. She looked back down, her eyes widening as green eyes gazed up at her.

Pyrrha screamed.

* * *

Ruby screamed, breaking an arm free of the guards, struggling against them. Her head started to throb, white spots popping up in her vision as she stared at them.

Pyrrha fell to her knees, rocking back and forth, clutching her arms as she screamed. Dark blood pooled around Penny, her light clothes turning crimson. Her swords were scattered around her.

She didn't stop screaming, the guards barely audible.

"Wha-what the fuck is wrong with her eyes?!"

She broke free of the guards, running to the arena edge, stumbling, tripping, and falling as she ran. Her world was growing whiter. She got to her knees, her head pounding, and squeezed her eyes shut, clutching her head, tears running down her face.

* * *

Coco stared down at the arena, her mouth hanging open, her eyes wide in horror. Velvet leaned forward, her mouth covering her hand, her eyes watering. Velvet fell from her seat, vomiting onto the floor, gagging as she retched. Sun and Neptune stared at Pyrrha; their faces numb.

A high pitched wail echoed throughout the arena speakers, and Coco covered her ears, grunting. She looked over at the arena screens to see they had turned red, a black queen's chess piece logo spinning in the corner of the screen.

"This was no accident," a female voice boomed throughout the arena. Coco lowered her ears, watching in disgust as a loop of Penny's murder began to play. "This is not a tragedy." The screen changed to Yang breaking Mercury's leg. "This is what happens when you hand over your trust." The screen zoomed in on Mercury's face as he screamed in pain. "Your children." Coco gasped, seeing herself on the screen as footage from the Breach began to play. "Your very safety." General Ironwood and Oz's faces took up the screens. "To mere men."

"To men who's ambitions have led to them wielding more power than any other. To men who have fused his Kingdom's education with his military. These men cling to their old traditions in their vain attempts at preserving the peace." The woman laughed, a chill going down Coco's spine. "And yet look what has happened. A Beacon student breaking another student's leg? And another brutally murdering another student while she begged for her life? And why oh why would Atlas construct a machine capable of behaving like a human and train her to fight? The Grimm certainly can't tell the difference between a human and a machine." The woman's chuckle was cold.

"When I lived in Mistral I was fed the lie, like all of you, that Hunters were the harbingers of peace and honor. But now you all see what they truly are. Ozpin, Ironwood, and all the others have trained them to be merciless killers, brainwashing young adults and turning them into glorified weapons. It makes one wonder if Ozpin's high casualty rate at his school isn't out of some sick pleasure."

"Or perhaps this was all a part of Ozpin's plan; to show the world that he would not sit idly by while a tyrant rolled into Vale and began to occupy it under the guise of 'safe guarding the peace' that you all have loved so much."

"The leaders of your Kingdoms have been keeping you in the dark. This peace you all cherish is fragile and hollow. You have all been kept in the dark while the leaders of this world conduct business with blood stained hands. The Kingdoms are at the brink of war and it has all been kept hidden from you. The people of this world."

"When the first shots of war are fired, who will you be able to trust?"

The arena lights blew out, screams ringing out as the arena was thrown into darkness, the screens black. There was static, and a crudely drawn crayon smiling sun filled the screens. _Enjoy the show!_

A dull red light glowed throughout the arena as the emergency lights flickered on. An alarm started to blare before a mechanical voice started to speak.

"Warning: incoming Grimm attack. Warning: incoming Grimm attack. Threat level: ten. Please seek out shelter in a calm and orderly fashion." People shoved past Coco, screams echoing throughout the arena, the crowd a dark blob as they ran for the exits. Coco swallowed, her hands shaking, her scarred leg aching. This couldn't be happening.

"Everyone!" It was the General. "Please, remain calm. There is no need to pa-"

Ice shot through Coco's blood as a screech rang above them. A Nevermore landed on the energy shield encasing the arena, screeching and flapping its wings as it slashed at the shield with its talons, its beak slamming against it.

"Fuck," Coco whimpered.

* * *

Qrow rushed out of the elevator, Glynda at his side.

"Oz!" Ozpin turned, his back straight, his cane in hand, his face stern.

"Get to the city!" Glynda stepped forward.

"Sir-"

"Now!" Ozpin ordered. Gylnda looked over at him, and Qrow nodded. He ran back to the elevator, Glynda at his heels.

* * *

Ozpin pulled his scroll out as the elevator door slammed shut. He pressed Ironwood's contact and put his scroll to his ear.

"Ozpin, wha-"

"You brought your army to my kingdom, James." Ozpin narrowed his eyes. "Use it." He hung up, heading towards the door to his office.

* * *

Neo grinned, leaning against the control room wall while soldiers bustled around her. A voice spoke over the ship radio.

"This is Blue Four, Blue Three and Two, get into defensive position."

"Roger, Blue Four! Blue Three moving into position!" A different voice said.

Neo drew the knife at her hip, her smile growing; time to play.

* * *

Roman looked up as the door to his cell slide open. He grinned before wincing in pain.

Neo stood in the doorway, blood covering her face and uniform. His cane and hat were in her hands. She stepped into the cell, putting his hat on his head, and handing him his cane. She smiled devilishly.

"Time for payback," she signed.

He frowned at that. Neo backed out of the cell, and he stood up, pain shooting through his body, his joints cracking noisily.

He followed Neo to the control room, cocking an eyebrow at the bodies littering the floor, the floors and walls soaked in blood. He went to the main console, looking over the controls. Been a few years since he hijacked an Atlas ship. He cracked his fingers, and stretched his neck; time to see if he still had it.

He fiddled with the controls, the ship lurching to starboard. He grit his teeth, his empty stomach doing flips as the ship moved. It halted, the two remaining dreadnaughts dead center. Nevermore's were perched on the ships, striking them with their beaks and slashing them with their talons. Fighter ships were soaring through the air, firing at Griffons. He glanced down at the controls, his hands hovering over the weapons controls. He closed his eyes, and pressed them.

The ship jolted as its main canon fired, the Dust blasts blowing a hole in the dreadnaughts. Screams and yells washed over the speakers, filling the room with the screeches of the dying. Roman's nose wrinkled, and he muted the radio, looking away as the ships exploded.

* * *

Adam loaded shells into his shotgun, his Sibling popping clips into their rifles. He rested his shotgun on his side as he felt the airship slow and come to a halt. He went to the ship door, turning and facing his Siblings. He grinned.

"Show them no mercy."

The door swung open and Adam leapt out, his Siblings landing behind him. His grin grew as Grimm swarmed around the school, their roars like music.


	48. Battle of Beacon

Screams, roars, and gunfire rang through the air. Weiss' hand was sweaty as they ran, Nevermore's screeching as they flew overhead. People were running around them, screaming, crying; the various stalls on fire, smoke choking the air.

Blake rounded a corner and slid to a halt, her eyes going wide, people bumping into her as they ran past. Corpses littered the ground; their bodies ripped apart, entrails and limbs scattering the blood soaked grass. Hunks of metal were scattered amongst the corpses; the remains of Atlesian Knights. Grimm were rampaging through the fairgrounds, pouncing and ripping apart anyone that they saw. The remaining Knights were firing at the Grimm, their bullets indenting on their bone armor.

"Look out!" Weiss shouted, shoving her to the ground. Blake's face hit the grass, and her ears twitched as something swooped overhead, a scream piercing the air. Blake looked up; a woman was in the talons of a Nevermore, screaming and struggling, pounding on its talons. A second Nevermore flew up, attacking the first as it struggled to rip the woman from its grasp. The woman's screams became gurgled, blood spurting from her mouth as the Nevermore tightened its grip.

Blake shakily rose to her feet, pinning herself against the wall of a stall, Weiss at her side, her body trembling. She felt her scroll vibrate and she pulled it from her pocket; Yang. Her hands were trembling as she answered and raised it to her ear.

* * *

Yang sprinted through the hallways of the dorm, screams ringing throughout the building. She held her scroll against her ear, oh god please let them be okay.

"Yang?" Blake's voice was shaky when she answered. Yang sighed in relief as she took a turn.

"Blake, are you and Weiss okay? Where's Ruby? She isn't picking up."

"We're fine for now. I don't know where Ruby is." Yang swallowed, and took another turn. "I'm sure she's fine, she's our leader. She can handle this." Yang nodded, Blake's words reassuring.

"I'm heading your way, the White Fang and Grimm are every-"

A door exploded in front of her, splinters flying through the air as a Beowolf leapt through, red blood coating its face. Yang gasped, her scroll falling to the ground as the wolf pounced at her.

* * *

Weiss wrapped her arms around her body as she stared at Blake's scroll in horror; growling and Yang's strained grunting coming through the speaker.

"Yang?! Yang!" Blake screamed, shaking her scroll. A shotgun blast and then silence, the call ending. Weiss felt her body shaking, and she tightened her grip on her body.

"This can't be happening." She shook her head. "Penny can't be… Pyrrha wouldn't…" She looked over at Blake. Blake's lips were thin, her ears pinned to her head, and her eyes downcast. "What are we going to do, Blake?" Blake's eyes flickered over to her before Blake closed them, taking a deep breath. She exhaled, straightening her back, her expression stern. She punched a few keys on her scroll as she spoke.

"We're going to Beacon, and we're doing our jobs."

A locker thudded to the ground in front of them, steam hissing as the door opened. Gambol Shroud and Myrtenestar lay in their sheaths inside the locker. Blake looked over at her, and Weiss saw fear in her eyes. Weiss nodded at her, and grabbed her sword.

* * *

"Warning: Safety Barriers failing. Warning: Safety Barriers failing." People surged past her, trampling over each other, the Nevermore's screeches ringing throughout the arena. The white spots in her vision began to disappear, the pounding in her head slowing to a stop. She let go of her head as she stared at the ground, her mouth hanging open and the tears dripping onto the floor. Penny. Her body shook, a sob escaping her lips.

* * *

Pyrrha rocked back and forth, tears running down her face; she couldn't tell if the screaming she heard was coming from her or the people in the arena.

Penny's green eyes had glazed over, her mouth partially open, blood trailing from her lips and down her chin. The red lights of the arena made the blood look black; Penny's body looking like it was in a pool of ink. Her severed leg lay off to the side.

A voice was shouting at her, their words far away, like she was underwater. There was a thunderous crash, and winds whipped around her, Penny's body sliding against the floor as a black mass hit the ground. Pyrrha's eyes widened in horror as a Nevermore lifted its head, peering at her with its red eyes. It screeched at her, saliva dripping from its maw, its screams ear splittingly loud. Pyrrha scrambled back, the Nevermore's claws tearing into the concrete as it moved towards her. The Nevermore lunged forward, its beak wide open.

 _i deserve this_

A red and black blur shot past Pyrrha, colliding with the Nevermore. The Nevermore screamed in pain, black blood spurting into the air. Pyrrha gasped as the blur landed.

"Ruby?"

Grimm blood dripped from the sword in Ruby's grasp, drops of it spraying as Ruby took a stance, the blade aimed at the Nevermore.

"Leave them alone!" Ruby yelled.

* * *

The white light of the screen illuminated the Nevermore's black body; its red eyes glowing in the low red lights of the arena. The Nevermore screeched at her as it flapped its wings, the winds buffeting her, her cape flapping violently behind her. The Nevermore took to the skies, circling around the arena, screeching, its blood falling like rain. Ruby tightened her grip on Penny's sword, snarling at the Nevermore.

With a shriek it dove down at her, its talons splayed out, the razor sharp ends reflecting the white light. Ruby stood her and ground, and rolled out of the way of the talons, springing to her feet and jabbing up as the wing soared over her head. A strangled yelp was ripped from her lips as she was painfully jerked into the air, her sword embedded in the Nevermore's wing. Blood dripped down onto her face as the Nevermore soared through the air, shrieking in pain. She grit her teeth, and reached up, grabbing a hold of the Nevermore's wing; its feathers were rough to the touch. She yanked the sword free, her body dangling in the air, the winds buffeting her body. She stabbed the sword into the wing, eliciting another scream, before pulling herself up.

She crouched down, her cape and hair flapping around her. She moved slowly up the wing, the Nevermore continuing to circle the arena. She stumbled as she reached its torso, jabbing the sword into its body as the Nevermore dive bombed the ground. She grunted, the sword being yanked from place, and tumbled down the Nevermore's body as it hit the ground. She grabbed a handful of feathers, gritting her teeth and looking up as the Nevermore reared up. She stabbed into its back with the sword as it screeched. She began to hastily climb up, the Nevermore flapping its wings and screeching as she climbed. She reached its neck, the Nevermore thrashing around and shrieking. She screamed and plunged the sword into its neck. Black blood sprayed out, the Nevermore halting mid cry. She twisted the blade, more blood spraying out, and felt the Nevermore's body start to fall. She yanked the blade out and jumped back, grunting as she hit the ground, pain shooting through her knees.

The Nevermore's body crumpled to the floor, its talons twitching as its blood pooled around it. Pyrrha was kneeling, staring at her in shock.

Ruby dropped the sword, her body feeling like lead, tears welling in her eyes as she ran. Past the smoking body of the Nevermore. Past Pyrrha. She fell to her knees when she reached her, sobs wracking her body. There was so much blood. She sniffed, her hands trembling as she gingerly lifted her head. Her sobbing grew worse. Gods, oh gods why? Why? Why? WHY? She rested her forehead against Penny's, sobbing. She heard several loud thuds and footsteps behind her. She sniffed, lifting her head back. They had been her favorite shade of green.

"Ruby?" She hesitantly looked back; CFVY, Sun, Neptune, Oobleck, Port, JNR were all looking at her, their weapons in hand. Pyrrha stood behind her, her eyes red and tears streaming down her face. Pyrrha fell to her knees, wrapping her arms around herself. Pyrrha hiccupped, her voice breaking. "I'm-" she hiccupped again. "I'm so sorry."

Ruby turned away from Pyrrha, staring at her face again. She sniffed, counting the freckles on her cheeks for what would be the last time. She raised a hand, gingerly placing them over Penny's lids. She sniffed as her favorite shade of green disappeared. She cradled Penny against her chest, rocking back and forth, her voice thick when she spoke.

"I know," She said. She heard Pyrrha hiccup again and then felt arms wrap around her. Pyrrha buried her face into Ruby's back, her tears soaking into her cloak. Ruby closed her eyes. "It wasn't your fault, Pyrrha," She said. Pyrrha said nothing, continuing to cry.

Ruby opened her eyes and looked back when she heard footsteps. Jaune was walking over to them, carrying Pyrrha's spear and shield, his expression stern. He held out her spear and shield.

"This isn't your fault, Pyrrha. That woman on the speaker, this is her fault. And we have to stop her; to make sure we don't lose anyone else." Jaune said. Pyrrha blinked, glancing back over at Penny, before letting her go and standing up. She took her weapons solemnly, walking away from Ruby, her head hung low.

Ruby turned away from them, holding Penny in front of her face. She closed her eyes as she lowered her down.

"I love you," she said quietly as she stood.

* * *

There was a roar, and Oobleck looked up, grimacing at the Griffons landing on the top of the arena, eyeing them. There were too many. He looked over at Port to see him grimacing as well. Port sighed, and tightened the grip on his blunderbuss.

"Students." They looked over at them. Oobleck gave them all a reassuring smile as Port spoke, etching each of their faces into his mind. "I do believe it is time for you all to leave." Ruby's mouth parted, and she took a step forward.

"But-"

"Ruby." She looked over at him. "This day will surely go down in Remnant's history. I would prefer it if my students got to live to tell about it." He saw tears start to well in her eyes.

"Doctor, we can't just-" Ruby stopped, looking up as the Griffons roared again, leaping down from their perches and soaring down. Oobleck scowled.

"Now!" He shouted. His students looked at him, glancing at each other, and then at the fast approaching Grimm. Coco was the first to run off, her team following after her. Jaune and his team next, those two boys after them. Ruby swallowed, and closed her eyes before running after them, snatching her sword off the ground. He sighed as the griffons began to land, encircling him and Port.

"One last match, Barty?" Port asked, pressing his back against him. Oobleck chuckled, sliding his glasses up.

"Indeed." The flames from his weapon sputtered white in the red lights of the arena. He smiled as the Griffons charged them. "It's been a pleasure."

* * *

Yang sprinted into the fairgrounds, breathing heavy. The stalls were all aflame, people rushing past her as she ran towards the chaos. She saw Atlesian Knights firing at various Grimm, various students fighting against the Grimm as well. She almost smiled at the familiar sight of Team SVDJ. She ducked around a woman as she ran past, gasping as a Creep jumped down from the roof of a stall. She grabbed it by its jaws, holding its teeth apart with a grunt. With a snarl she yanked her arms, the Creep's body being ripped in half. She dropped the smoldering remains and ran further in, people shoving past her.

"Guys!" she shouted. Her friends looked back at her, relief washing over their blood splattered faces. Jet yanked his halberd free of a Beowolf, his expression grim.

"What the fuck is going on?" Jet asked. Yang shook her head.

"I have no idea." She scowled as she saw a Nevermore soar overhead. She balled her hands into fists, her nails cutting into her hand. "But right now, we've gotta do our jobs, and get these people out of here."

"R-right," Drey said. They nodded in agreement, and Yang took a deep breath before exhaling. She could do this. She ran past them, hearing them run after her as she ran towards a group of Grimm chasing after a family.

She tackled a Beowolf to the ground, growling as she pinned its arms to the ground. She slammed her fist into its head, firing a blast, its head exploding. She sprung to her feet, sidestepping a Boarbatusk, and grabbing its tusk as it charged past. She yanked back with a yell, hearing it squeal in pain. It spun around and charged at her again, and Yang grabbed the boar by its other tusk, snarling as she slid in the grass. She stabbed the broken tusk into the boars with a shout, punching it in and firing a shot as the boar squealed and thrashed in pain. The Boarbatusk fell to the ground, blood pooling and smoke rising off of it.

"Duck!" Yang threw herself to the ground, hearing an arrow whistle past her and a Creep cry out in pain. She got up, the Creep pinned to a flaming stall wall by one of Sterling's arrows.

Drey rushed past her, her two daggers glinting in the fire light as she rushed a Beowolf, slicing into its belly before stabbing a blade into its neck. Yang looked back, and saw Violet leading the family away, firing at a pack of Creeps with her assault rifle.

Yang yelped in pain before growling as she felt a set of jaws clamp around her shoulder. She yelled, grabbing the wolf by its muzzle and tearing it off of her shoulder, and throwing it onto the ground. Bits of her leather jacket where in its mouth as she stomped her foot down, its head smashing apart as she stomped on it.

Her body felt like it was on fire, she snarled as several wolves lunged at her. She ducked under the claws of the first, punching into its gut and firing a blast, its body being blown in half, its entrails spilling onto her as its body fell. She spun around the snapping jaws of another wolf, grabbing its arm and twisting it behind its body before kicking it in the knee, hearing it growl as she forced it down. She punched the back of its head, firing a shot. Its headless body fell to the ground.

The last wolf pounced at her and she spun her body, roundhouse kicking it in the face, hearing it scream in pain as it was thrown into a burning stall, the logs falling onto it. She spat as the wolf howled as it burned.

"Yang!" Sterling shouted, panic in his voice. Yang looked back, gasping. Jet was bleeding, a large gash on his side, his breathing labored. Sterling was holding him up, his bow slung over his shoulder. "Help me out, we gotta get him outta here," Sterling said. Yang looked over at Drey. Drey whirled a blade.

"Violet and I have this covered, get him out of here and then come back to us." Yang nodded.

Yang went over to Jet, leaning him against her shoulder. Jet groaned in pain as they started to walk.

"You're gonna be okay, buddy. Just hang on." Sterling said. Jet chortled before coughing, blood spurting out.

"I'm gonna be the one saving your ass one of these days," he said.

They walked for several yards, Yang's eyes darting around for any sign of Grimm. She sighed in relief at the sight of those Atlesian Knights. She pointed at them, and looked over at Sterling.

"They can help us," she said. He nodded in agreement.

* * *

Winter yanked her sword free from the Beowolf, blood spraying as its body fell to the ground. Civilians rushed past in a mad mob, screaming and crying as they sprinted towards the evac shuttles. She grit her teeth and pulled her sidearm out, firing at a griffon flying into the arena, its head exploding, brains and blood raining down.

She gasped, leaping out of the way as an Ursa charged at her, its bone armor stained red. She slammed her sword into the ground, a glyph materializing beneath her. The Ursa growled, and lunged at her. Winter smiled. A snow white wolf lunged forward with a howl, clamping its jaws around the Ursa's throat. The Ursa's roar became strangled as its throat was ripped open, the black blood splattering on her wolf. The wolf looked back at her, a remnant of a smile as it disappeared in a flurry of snowflakes.

She heard gunfire behind her, and spun around, raising her pistol. Atlesian Knights were firing at an Alpha Beowolf, a screaming child in its claws. It roared at them, tossing the child at the mechs. They stopped firing, the child slamming into one of them. The wolf pounced onto one of the Knights, ripping its head off. The wolf turned to the other mech, the child wailing as the wolf glared at them. The mech rose to its feet, firing at the wolf. The wolf grabbed the Knights rifle, yanking it from its grasp before biting onto its throat, jabbing its claws through the mech's torso.

The mech fell to the ground, and the child ran towards her. The wolf howled and lunged forward. Winter screamed and jumped towards it, stabbing forward with her sword. The blade stabbed into its shoulder, the wolf growling at her as it bled. The wolf raised its paw, its claws soaked in blood and oil. She yanked her sword free, ducking low as the wolf swung at her. She jabbed her sword into the wolf's belly, blood spraying out and splattering against her face as she sliced its belly open. She yanked her sword out and shoved her pistol into the wound, firing several rounds, the wolf howling in pain as its intestines were shot out of its back.

The wolf collapsed to the ground, smoke drifting off its body and blood pooling around it. Winter turned away from the corpse and bent down to the child; it was a small girl. The girl was sobbing hysterically. Winter sheathed her sword, and hesitated before holding out a hand to the girl. The girl didn't stop sobbing but tentatively grabbed her hand nonetheless. Winter lifted her up, cradling her with one arm, her pistol in the other.

"I'm going to get you out of here, okay?" She said. The girl nodded, still wailing. Winter craned her neck, looking around to find the nearest shuttle. There, that one was close.

* * *

Ironwood grasped the pistol in his hand as he approached his shuttle, Knights marching alongside him. He saw Winter hurry over to the shuttle, her clothes and face coated in Grimm blood. She stood at attention at the entrance, saluting him as he came to a halt. He whirled around at the sound of running behind him, and sighed in relief to see it was Ruby and several Beacon students.

"What's happening? What's going on!" Ruby asked. Winter stepped forward, standing at his side.

"The Grimm have invaded Vale. They are swarming throughout the city and Beacon. What's more, the White Fang have been spotted in Beacon as well." The monkey Faunus' face darkened at the mention of the terrorist group. Ironwood frowned as he spoke.

"To complicate matters, we believe Roman Torchwick has escaped his imprisonment on my ship and has hijacked it, using it to wipe out our fleet. The airs are not safe until he is dealt with." He glanced at Winter before resuming. "Captain Schnee and I are going-" A Creep leapt towards the rabbit Faunus; Ironwood sneered as he fired at it, blowing its head off. He heard it hit the floor with a squish. "To take my ship back." He saw Winter nod from the corner of his eye.

"Once that is complete, Atlas personnel will set up a safe zone in whatever part of the city we can reclaim, and aid in the final evacuation of Beacon." Winter said. Ironwood nodded at the students before turning and boarding the shuttle.

* * *

Ruby gripped Penny's sword, the metal comforting as the General entered the shuttle. Winter sighed, and holstered her pistol before she began to enter as well.

"Wait!" Ruby cried. Winter looked back at her. Ruby swallowed, gripping the sword again. "What do we do?" Winter looked them over, and rested her hands behind her back.

"As it stands? You have two options in front of you: head into Beacon and help defend you Kingdom. Or take a shuttle and get to safety." Ruby looked over at Jaune and Coco. Coco's lip was twitching, her eyes masked by her glasses. Jaune's hands were shaking. Winter's face softened. "No one will fault you if you leave. Don't try and be a hero," She said.

"Captain! Let's move out!" Ironwood shouted. Winter sighed before turning to the General, her body rigid.

"Aye, sir!" She looked back at them one last time before climbing up the ramp. The shuttle door closed behind her, and the ship roared to life as it took off.

Ruby looked over at her friends; they were all glancing at each other uncertainly. Coco grasped the side of her leg. Sun laughed nervously.

"W-we're going to Beacon, right guys?" Jaune nodded.

"We can take one of the ships. We can get in that way." She saw Coco let go of her leg, balling her hand into a fist before nodding. They ran off, and Ruby glanced over her shoulder at Ironwood's ship before following after them.

* * *

Roman sighed, turning to Neo. She looked confused, and cocked her head to the side as she signed at him.

"Are you not having fun, Dad?" He shook his head.

"Just bring the virus over." He said. Neo pouted but fished the scroll out of her coat pocket and handed it to him. He held the scroll in his hand, running his thumb over the smooth glass. He closed his eyes and slid it into the console's port. The monitor flickered before it began to glow red, a black queens chess piece taking up the screen.

* * *

Yang's eyes widened as the mech's turned around and took aim at them, their visors red.

"What the fu-" Yang screamed as Jet's head exploded, brains and blood splattering over her. She dropped his body in shock, falling to the ground as the mech's bullets ripped into his body. Sterling stood, paralyzed, as the mech's took aim at him. Gunfire poured into him, his aura breaking in a second, his body convulsing as the bullets tore through him, his blood spraying into the air in a red mist. His body fell crumpled to the floor in a heap next to Jet's.

Yang started to hyperventilate, clutching the sides of her head. She heard the mech's and looked over at them, her eyes wide in horror. They aimed their rifles at her, beginning to march towards her.

Yang bolted, dirt and grass spraying into the air as the bullets rained down on where she had been.

She ran through the fairgrounds, screams and gunfire all around her. She ran past a burning stall, skidding to a halt before turning to run the other way, covering her ears as she heard those people scream as the mech's butchered them.

"Yang!" She looked over to see Drey waving at her, running over to her. Yang opened her mouth to scream; her voice gone. A Nevermore was swooping down, its talons wide open, Drey directly in its path.

* * *

Ruby fidgeted in her seat, Penny's sword in her lap. The ship rocked occasionally, Nevermore's and Griffons swooping past the ship, screeching. She rose from her seat and went to the window near the front. Sun was piloting, his sanjiegun resting against the console. She peered out the window, and gasped in horror.

The cockpit of Ironwood's ship blew out, bullets and glass raining out. Flames engulfed the ship as it nosedived towards the ground.

Ruby backed away from the window, shaking her head in horror. She turned to Sun before shoving him out of his seat, grabbing the controls from him. The ship lurched as she punched the throttle, making a bee line for the dreadnaught.

"Ruby?! What the fuck are you doing?" Sun demanded. She said nothing, frowning as she jerked the ship up, hearing Velvet yelp as the ship lurched again. They were right above the ship. She let go of the controls, hit the button to open the door, and sprinted over to it, hearing her friends call out her name as she jumped out.

* * *

 _Thud!_

Neo's head jerked up at the sudden sound. She heard her father sigh.

"Go see what that was, please." He said. Neo nodded, drawing the knife at her waist with a smile.

* * *

Weiss ran alongside Blake, her sword drawn. The courtyard was in shambles, craters in the streets and grass, the gardens on fire, smoke billowing into the air. Civilians were running throughout the campus, screaming as Grimm and White Fang members attacked them. Atlesian soldiers and mech's were firing at the Grimm, and White Fang.

The mech's froze, the blue LED lights on their visors flickering before turning red. The mech's turned away from the White Fang and Grimm, aiming their rifles at the soldiers and civilians. Weiss' jaw dropped as they opened fire, the soldier's shouting in confusion, the White Fang surging forward and rushing the soldiers.

"Look out!" Blake shouted, grabbing Weiss' arm and yanking her down behind a pile of rubble. Gunfire rained around them, and Blake grit her teeth as Gambol Shroud took its gun form. Blake popped up for a split second, firing several shots before ducking back down. "There's too many," she said, her voice a growl.

Weiss peeked around the edge; there was dozens of them. She frowned; maybe with the right glyphs?

She vaulted over the cover, Blake shouting her name as she threw up a shield glyph. She ran towards the mech's, their bullets impacting on her barrier. She raised two fingers, and swung them down, a golden clock shaped glyph materializing at her feet. Energy coursed through her and she threw her two fingers up, white glyphs encircling the Knights.

Weiss jumped into the nearest glyph with a yell, feeling herself get shot forward, jabbing her sword as she shot from glyph to glyph, tearing the Knights' heads off as she zipped by them.

* * *

Blake followed after her, firing at the White Fang. She ran past the Knights as Weiss tore through them, and past the confused soldiers. Gambol Shroud took its sword form as she pounced into the crowd, slashing open the throat of lion. She spun around, catching the bayonet of a rabbit before kicking her in the gut. She twirled, swinging her blades and slashing open the chests of several White Fang, their white jackets turning red.

Blake turned, and saw a large white glyph appear beneath the group of White Fang. She smirked as they were launched airborne, screaming as they fell and slammed into the concrete. Weiss ran up to her, sweat coating her skin. Blake's head jerked over at the sound of gunfire and saw a Paladin firing at a group of soldiers, its chain-guns whirring to life.

Blake's eyes darted upwards as an evac shuttle came crashing to the ground, one of its wings on fire, an Alpha Beowolf tearing the exterior of the ship apart as it fell. The Alpha leapt off the ship as it came crashing down, the ground shaking as it exploded. She looked back at Weiss. They're eyes met and they nodded at each other.

"Come back to me," Weiss said. Blake nodded, grabbing Weiss' shoulder. Weiss leaned forward, and Blake closed her eyes. Weiss' lips were dry, and smoky. Blake pulled back and opened her eyes.

"I promise," Blake said. Weiss hesitated before nodding and running off. Blake turned and ran in the direction of the Alpha; the cafeteria.

She saw the Alpha on the roof of cafeteria as she drew near, its body illuminated by the moon. Flames licked the inside of the building, smoke billowing out of its shattered windows, glass littering the ground. She skid to a halt in front of one of the windows, glowering up at the beast.

A scream rang out, Blake's ears perking up, and her eyes widened in horror as she looked inside.

The building was burning, the tables crumbling and falling apart, embers flying into the air. Cardin Winchester lay on the floor, his mace out of reach. Blake started to hyperventilate, her body going numb, her hand raising up and resting against her cheek.

He swung his sword, the red blade catching the light of the fire as it cut through Cardin's neck. Blood pooled around his body as his head rolled. Adam looked up from his kill, smirking; she could feel his piercing gaze through his Grimm mask. She took a step back, her body trembling. He sheathed his sword and began to approach her, his smile growing as her trembling worsened.

"I've missed you, my Little Belladonna."

* * *

Emerald swallowed the bile in her throat as she watched the Grimm and mech's butcher people in the streets. Blood flowed through the streets; the Grimm not even stopping to feed as they continued their slaughter.

"It's terrible." She whispered.

"I know." Cinder purred. "Make sure to give a lot of attention to the Atlesian's." Cinder said. Mercury chuckled.

"Don't worry, I'm getting everything."

Emerald stumbled as the building they were on shook. Was the building falling apart? She heard Cinder laugh and looked over at her. Cinder pointed at Mountain Glenn. Mercury aimed his scroll at where she was pointing.

"This is going to be the best part." Cinder said. Emerald's eyes widened, her mouth falling open as Mountain Glenn began to crumble, a gigantic claw punching out of the mountainside, piercing red eyes glowing from the holes in the mountain. The ground shook again before the mountain exploded into a sea of rubble. A cloud of dust hung in the air before the dragon flew through it. Emerald gasped in pain, shoving her hands over her ears as the dragon roared.

 _this isn't what I signed up for_

* * *

The elevator shook and Ozpin was slammed against the wall. A guttural, thunderous roar followed a moment later, and Ozpin's blood went cold. He grit his teeth as got off the wall, the elevator continuing its descent. They did not have much time left if The Beast was free. The elevator came to a halt and the doors slid open. Ozpin hurried out of the elevator and out of the building, climbing down the steps before coming to a halt.

His school had been turned into a warzone; CFVY, JNPR, and several others battling mechs. The corpses of his students, Grimm, and White Fang members littered the ground, red and black mingling on the stone streets.

Pyrrha jabbed her spear into a Knight before yanking it out with a grunt. She glanced up, and froze when she saw him. He nodded at her, and held out his hand.

"It's time," he said.


	49. Heroes and Monsters

**This is when thing's get interesting.**

Jaune yanked his blade free of Knight, grunting from the strain. He looked over at Pyrrha, and saw her running up the stairs of the CCT building, Ozpin standing at the top of the stairs. He cocked his head to the side, and ran after Pyrrha.

* * *

Ruby stood on the top of the ship, gaping as a huge Grimm dragon soared past the ship. Griffons and Nevermore's were clawing their ways out of the dragon's scales, screaming and screeching as they took to the skies. Black, ink like goo was falling from the dragon's scales as it flew.

Ruby jumped out of the way as one of the Griffons landed, roaring at her. She scowled at it, taking a stance. The Griffon leaped at her, its beak wide open. Ruby swung the sword with a yell, feeling the blade slice through Griffons head. It collapsed with a thud, and Ruby sighed in relief.

 _Click!_

Ruby turned around, cocking an eyebrow in confusion. A woman in an Atlesian uniform stood behind her, smiling playfully as she took a picture of her. The woman waved at her, a blood stained knife in her hand.

* * *

His scroll chimed and he pulled it out, sighing in annoyance at the contents of the text.

"Of course she would show up," Roman said. He grabbed his cane and left the room, heading for the hatch.

* * *

Blake's hand rested against her cheek, feeling herself begin to back up. Adam smiled at her.

"Are you going to run away again, Darling?" He stepped towards her, his smile growing. "Have you become a coward in the time we've been separated?" Blake scowled.

"Why are you here? Why are you doing this?" He gestured to the burning building around him.

"I always envisioned us doing this together, Blake, leading Remnant into a new order, side by side." He chuckled "You can consider this, the spark of our revolution. The humans will know the fear we live with daily." His smile grew. "And I will kill the Schnee this school has been harboring."

Blake's fear dissipated, a fire replacing it. Blake drew her sword, jumping through the window and leaping from the table she landed on, screaming as she swung at him. His blade sprung out, catching her blade, sparks leaping between them. Blake growled, pushing forward, his smile disappearing.

"I won't let you hurt her!" Adam pulled back, swinging his blade. Blake ducked down, spinning as she swung. A jolt ran up her arm as their blades collided. "I will never run away again!" Adam smiled.

"Good." Blake grunted as he kicked her in the gut, the wind getting knocked out of her as she slammed against the ground. She snarled up at him as he spoke. "You're coming back with me, Darling. But not before I punish you for leaving me."

* * *

Velvet grunted as gunfire rained over her head. Coco and Neptune were crouched down on either side of her, bullets slamming against their cover. Neptune popped up for a second, firing at the Paladins before ducking back down.

"This is bad!" Neptune yelled. Velvet peeked out of cover. Weiss dashed between the legs of a Paladin, swinging her sword, ice shooting up the mech's legs. Ren leapt onto the mech, stabbing the blade of one of his guns into the mech's hide before shooting at its face at point blank. The other Paladin turned towards its comrade, its chain guns spinning. Yatsuhashi and Nora sprang forth, Yatsu cleaving one of the mech's guns off with a roar as Nora crushed the other one with her hammer. The guns fell to the ground with a thud. The mech spun its arms, its fists colliding with Nora and Yatsu and sending them flying. Yatsu landed on his feet, grunting as he got to his feet. Nora cried out in pain as she slammed against a pile of rubble, her aura crackling pink around her.

"Nora!" Ren shouted. The Paladin grabbed a hold of him, ripping him off of it and tossing him to the side. He groaned in pain as he slid against the concrete.

"Velvet!" She looked over at Coco as Coco popped out of cover, resting her Gatling gun on the cover as she fired. "Take em down!" she ordered. Velvet nodded, vaulting forward.

Velvet ran toward the mech as its chain guns spun, aimed at Ren. She held out her hand, a hard light copy of Ruby's scythe materializing in her hand. She leapt into the air, swinging the scythe with a grunt, slicing off the gun. She landed, Myrtenestar materializing, and spun around catching the mech's punch with the blade. She leapt onto the mech's arm, running up it and jumping towards its face, stabbing into it. Sparks danced around the stab wound as Velvet back flipped off, Ember Celica materializing. She fired several shots, blowing holes in the Paladin's armor.

The Paladin raised its arms, twirling them, kicking up dust and gravel. Velvet ducked under its swinging fists, Gambol Shroud materializing. She stabbed up with the sheath, grunting as she was tossed off her feet and spun in the air. She glanced over at the mech's legs and tossed the sword into its leg, the ghostly ribbon in her hand. The mech spun and spun, the ribbon growing taunt around its legs. Velvet smirked and leapt off the arm, yanking on the ribbon as she hit the ground. The mech toppled over, whirring as it thrashed its arms. Velvet's ear twitched at the sound of the other mech and spun around, slashing with Gambol Shroud, slicing off the mech's hand.

Coco's Gatling gun materialized in her hand and she opened fire, her bullets ripping holes in the mech. The mech raised its fist, and Velvet jumped toward it, Magnhild materializing. She swung the hammer, grunting as the mech's arm broke at the elbow. Velvet swung again, the arm snapping off and going flying.

The Paladin backed up, sparks raining down from its severed arm. Penny's swords materialized around her, floating around her head. She held her hand out and swung up, the swords mimicking her movements, slicing through the mech's legs. The mech collapsed onto the ground, oil spurting from its severed leg. Velvet pulled her arms back, the blades circling in front of her, spinning, plasma charging. She shoved forward with a yell and a beam of plasma shot forth. The plasma sheared through the mech, leaving it as a melting husk.

Sweat ran down her brow as the blades dissipated. Her eyes shot wide as she heard the other mech rush her and she yelped in pain as its fist collided with her, sending her flying, her camera being tossed into the air.

* * *

Coco and Neptune rushed past her, Coco shouting Velvet's name. They fired as they ran, their bullets indenting on the Paladin's metal hide. The mech ignored them, raising a fist as Velvet lay crumpled on the ground, her camera out of reach.

Weiss dashed forward, sprinting as fast as she could, laying glyphs down as she ran to speed herself up even more. She had already lost Penny, she wouldn't lose anyone else. There was a spark, and Weiss felt electricity course through her body as she ran.

She slid to a halt in front of Velvet, her sword held out in front of as the Paladin's fist came crashing down. She grit her teeth, holding her ground. She gasped in surprise as a huge white sword materialized above her head, the Paladin's fist slamming into it. The sword swung, retching the arm up before stabbing into the Paladin's torso. The sword jerked to the side, ripping the mech open. Oil gushed out, electricity sparking as the mech collapsed, the red lights dying.

Weiss looked behind her, her eyes widening. A large white glyph was above her, a large armored arm protruding from the glyph and holding onto the sword. The glyph faded and Weiss fell to her knees, suddenly feeling exhausted, her limbs a heavy weight.

Velvet picked up her camera, and looked at Weiss in disbelief. Velvet crouched down next to her, brushing a stray bang off her face.

"You? Saved me?" Velvet asked. Weiss nodded, offering a smile.

"Of course, _dost_." Velvet's eyes went wide, her mouth parting. _Dost_ ; Ishvi for friend. Velvet smiled, helping her to her feet.

The ground rumbled and Weiss looked over to see another Paladin arrive, its white armor coated in blood.

"Mother. Fucker." Sun said with a groan.

* * *

Roman threw open the hatch door, climbing out. Griffons were choking the airs around the ship, their cries echoing around him. Red was dodging Neo's swings, her stained knife glinting. Neo was smirking as she slashed and swung at Red. Red had a sword in hand, using it to parry Neo's stabs away. Neo saw him, and smirked as she jumped to the side.

He strode forward, frowning as he raised his cane and fired. Red's eyes shot open as the grenade landed near her, and she leapt out of the way as it exploded. He strode through the smoke; Red was struggling to her feet, grasping the sword and pointing it at him. He frowned at her.

"Why are you here, Little Red? Are you that dead set on playing the hero?" Red swallowed.

"Why are you doing this? Without this ship the Grimm are gonna kill everyone!" She said. He raised his cane and fired. Red leapt out of the way, gasping as she landed at the edge, swinging her arms as she tried to keep her balance.

"I know that, Red," he said. Red pointed her sword at him.

"Then why! What could you get out of this?" Roman chuckled darkly as Neo surged past him. Red gasped, ducking under Neo's swing and running away from her. Neo spun, grinning like a devil.

"It's because I can't afford to lose."

Neo swung her knife, and Red's sword shot up to catch the blow. Neo yanked her arm back and danced around Red's blade as she swung at her. Neo lunged forward and Roman looked away as he heard Red cry out in pain. He looked back when he heard the clang of metal. Neo and Red's blades were interlocked, fear and pain etched on Red's face, amusement on Neo's. Red's sleeve had been slashed open. Neo's foot shot out and kicked Red in the shin. Red buckled, yelping as she fell.

Neo pounced, tackling Ruby to the floor, knocking her sword to the side. Neo raised her knife and stabbed down. Red's hand shot and she screamed as she grabbed a hold of the knife, retching it out of Neo's grasp and tossing it aside. Neo snarled and head-butted her, Red grunting in pain as her head slammed against the metal.

Roman walked over to Red as Neo pounded on her, hearing her yelp and cry as she was beaten. He stopped next to them and closed his eyes, crossing his arms, listening as she was beaten to death.

"This is the real world, Red. The real world is cold. In the real world, people don't care about how much spirit you have. It doesn't care about fairness, it only cares about power. And like it or not, the people who hired me have the power to change this world. I can't stop them and neither can you. So play the part and die like every other hero."

Roman's eyes shot wide in horror as a Griffon soared past, knocking Neo off of her and pinning her to the floor. Neo's was screaming soundlessly, beating at the Griffons talons as its beak opened, saliva drooling onto her face.

"Neo!" He screamed. He rushed forward, slamming his cane into the side of the Griffon, his arms jolting as he struck the bone armor. He saw a red and black blur and the Griffon roared in pain. Black blood gushed from the Griffon's neck, splattering onto Neo, as the Griffon's head was cut off. The Griffon slumped to the side, and Neo scrambled away.

Red stood in front of him, breathing hard, her sword coated in Grimm blood. She snarled at him.

"You're wrong." She pointed the sword at him. "I will stop them. I can't afford to lose either." Roman laughed, his cane slipping from his grasp and clattering to the floor. Red didn't lower her sword. "You said you can't afford to lose, and that you can't stop them. But if you stop this, if you let this ship stop the Grimm, we can beat them." He saw Neo cock her head to the side in confusion as she looked from him to her.

"I've always liked your spirit, Red. It reminds me of someone I used to know." He smiled. "But I'm in too deep, Red. It's too late for a villain like me." Red lowered her sword, and stepped towards him, shaking her head.

"You're wrong." Red stopped in front of him, holding out her hand. "It's never too late."

Roman looked at her hand, and then at her eyes. Confidence, courage, hope swam in her silver eyes. The same look in Eon's eyes when they fought together. Roman grasped her hand and Red smiled.

Roman squeezed and spun his body, hearing Red scream as he threw her off the side of the ship. He sighed as he picked up his cane, and went to Neo's side. Neo smiled at him as he crouched down and started to wipe the blood off her face. He smiled lovingly at her once her face was clean and helped her too her feet.

"Get one of the escape pods ready." He said. Neo cocked her head to the side, confused.

"Why?" she signed. He looked over the side of the ship he had thrown Red off of, and then over at Vale City and Beacon. Plumes of black smoke were billowing from Beacon, swarms of Grimm surging through the city. He sighed as he went to the hatch.

"I'm going to make your mother proud."

* * *

The wind whipped around her as she fell. Ruby's eyes watered as the winds ripped past her. She struggled to get her scroll out, keeping it close to her, her grip a vice as she plummeted to the ground. She punched in the keys, praying it reached her in time. She tucked her scroll into her collar and threw out her arms, trying to slow down.

She grunted as the locker hit her, her aura absorbing the hit. She clung to it, her cape twirling around her as the locker flew towards the ground. She grit her teeth as it crashed into the top of a building, throwing her off it and skidding against the concrete roof.

She struggled to her feet, wincing in pain, her entire body sore. She went to the locker, prying open the door. She smiled at the familiar sight of Crescent Rose.

* * *

Yang couldn't move, she couldn't scream, she could only stare. She saw confusion on Drey's face, and then fear as the Nevermore screeched. One of the talons burst through her chest, her aura breaking, her blood spraying into the air. Blood ran from her lips, she was coughing, her eyes wide in shock as she looked down at the talon in her chest. Drey's eyes darted over to her, tears welling.

"Ya-" The Nevermore took off, screeching in victory.

Yang's legs gave way beneath her, falling to her knees. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't real. This had to be a nightmare. She looked up; everything was burning, dark figures moving through the black smoke. She swallowed, her throat dry. She got to her feet, swaying, unsteady as she looked around. The smoke was enveloping, everything indistinguishable. She started to run; she had to get out, there must be a way out. The screaming had stopped, the only sound the crackling of the fires.

She ran past a stall, and yelped as she tripped and fell. She looked back, her breath hitching in her throat. A girl with purple hair and long purple dog ears lay on the ground, an assault rifle off to the side. Her face was smeared in Grimm blood. Her body had been ripped in half, her legs missing and her organs spilled out all over the grass.

"V-Vio-" The word's stopped in her throat as the smell hit her. She covered her mouth, gagging. She felt the vomit on her hand and she bent over, retching onto the grass.

Her blood went cold when she heard a roar. She spun around, letting out a scream as she was knocked to the ground. The Ursa roared in her face, spit splattering across her face. Yang screamed, throwing a punch and pulling Ember Celica's trigger.

 _Click!_

* * *

Glynda flicked her wrist, purple light arcing from her riding crop, shooting through the air and piercing through the pack of Creeps in front of her. They slumped to the ground with a groan, smoke billowing from their corpses. She could hear Qrow grunting as he slashed at the Knights with his scythe. She spun around at the sound of a Beowolf growling, and smirked as a snow white wolf sprang forth, tearing into a group of mech's.

Ironwood and Winter strode forward, their clothes tattered and torn, half of Ironwood's shirt missing, his mechanical prosthetics visible. Ironwood drew his revolver, and Winter her pistol as the Knights turned to them and charged. The duo opened fire, Ironwood's shots blowing gaping holes into the mech's.

The mech's fell to their gunfire, their bodies crumpling to the ground in broken heaps. The cylinder to Ironwood's revolver swung out, and he dumped the empty shells out before reloading, snapping the cylinder back into place. They came to a halt in front of them, and Qrow leaned against his scythe as Ironwood spoke.

"Is this area secure?" he asked. Glynda nodded, walking up to Qrow's side. Qrow motioned with his hand as he spoke.

"So what are we supposed to do now, General?" Ironwood holstered his revolver, resting his chin in his hand.

"Glynda, I need you to set up a safe zone here. Have all the local Hunters converge here." Glynda nodded. "Qrow, Winter. I need you two to lead the evacuation. My men will help. That Beast seems to heading for Beacon, we can't afford to leave those people behind."

"And you, sir?" Winter asked. Ironwood rested his hands behind his back.

"I need to get to my ship and put an end to whoever hijacked my machines." Ironwood said.

A fireball erupted in the sky, a thunderous boom hitting her a second later; she could feel the blast in her chest. Ironwood's jaw dropped as his flagship fell from the sky, flames and explosions erupting from it. Qrow snickered.

"Don't think you'll have to worry about that, Jimmy."

* * *

Weiss grit her teeth, struggling to stand as the Paladin charged forward, its chain guns spinning. The red lights faded, and the Paladin collapsed to the ground, skidding through the concrete as it slid to a halt.

A cheer went through the group as Weiss fell to her knees, gasping for air. Sweet Dust that took so much Aura. She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder and looked up. Coco smiled down at her, Velvet and Fox standing behind her. Coco gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"Thanks Weiss. I don't know what I would do if I lost Velvet." Weiss smiled back. She stumbled a little as she stood, leaning on her sword for support. She scanned through the crowd of students, knitting her brow. She turned to Coco.

"Where's Blake?" she asked. Coco frowned and looked around. Weiss started to leave, her body sluggish. "I'm going after her." She felt Coco grab her by her collar and drag her back, shaking her head. Coco flashed a smile.

"Time for me to repay the favor. I'll find your girl. Where'd you see her last?" Weiss hesitated before answering.

"She was heading to the cafeteria. She was after an Alpha." Coco nodded, releasing her shoulder. Coco turned, cupping her hand over her mouth.

"Fox!" His head jerked over to her, his blind eyes staring at her. "Follow me!" Fox nodded, rushing over to her side. Coco gave Weiss one final smile before she turned and ran off, shouting over her shoulder. "I'll be back, Weiss!"

Weiss waved at Coco before slumping to the ground, exhausted.

* * *

The elevator door slid open, and Ozpin and Pyrrha dashed out in front of him. He ran after them, struggling to keep up. They were in a black hallway, torches with green fire lighting up their path as they ran.

"What is this place? Why were you taking Pyrrha here?" he asked. Ozpin said nothing as he ran, and Pyrrha looked back at him, an apologetic look in her eyes.

"This… is the school's Vault." He cocked his head to the side.

"A Vault? What would this school need a vault for? What are we-" He started to slow down, his eyes widening at the large machine in front of them. He could see a woman in some type of pod thing, and heard a beeping, like in a hospital. He looked over at Pyrrha as she ran to the other pod. "Pyrrha, what is this? Who is that?" Pyrrha stopped in front of the pod, and looked back at him. She opened her mouth to answer, before shutting it, looking away.

"Mr. Arc, if you're going to be here, stand guard." Ozpin said. Jaune looked at Pyrrha before nodding. He spun around, raising his shield, his sword at the ready for whatever may come.

* * *

Pyrrha set her hand against the glass, looking into the pod. She sighed, and looked over at Ozpin.

"What do we do now?" He shook his head as he typed away at the console.

" _We_ do nothing. _You_ , however, have a choice to make." Pyrrha stepped back as the pod opened with a hiss. She glanced from it to Jaune. She shook her head; this was her destiny. She entered the pod.

* * *

Blake sprang to her feet, swinging at Him with a yell. He parried her swing, growling.

"This could have been our day! This is what I have been dreaming of! Come back to me!" Blake spat in his face, pulling her blade back and stabbing at his stomach. He dodged her stab, and swung at her head. She raised her sword, sparks raining on her face as she struggled against his blade.

"I never wanted this!" She pushed his sword to the side, kicking him in the chest. He grunted in pain as she swung, slashing into his jacket. "I dreamed of equality!"She slashed at his chest, ripping open his shirt, his aura crackling, blood spurting. "I dreamed of a world without you!" She screamed, tears welling in her eyes as she swung at his head.

Adam snarled, blocking her blade with his own before kicking her in the chest, knocking her to the ground. She grunted and Gambol Shroud took its gun form, firing several shots at him. His blade glowed as it took the shots. His foot shot forward, slamming into her chin. She grunted as she slammed against the floor.

"What you want is impossible! There's no such thing as equality!" She took aim at him, firing another shot. His blade glowed angrily as it absorbed the bullets. Blake snarled, Gambol Shroud's blade springing into place as she stood up. "There are those on the top! And there's everyone else! We can't have peace as long as the humans exist!" Adam yelled as he charged her. She ducked below his swing, jabbing at his back. He spun around, knocking her blade to the side. Blake gnashed her teeth as they swung at each other, sparks raining down as they parried each other's blows, the fires consuming everything around them. "I want you more than anything else, Blake! I want you by my side as we bring about the justice humanity deserves!" Blake lunged at him, swinging her blade downward, aiming at his head.

Blake saw a red blur, her eyes widening as it slammed into her stomach, the blade piercing through her. Gambol Shroud slipped from her grip, and clattered to the floor. Her skin felt clammy, blood dripping down. He lifted her chin up, their faces so close.

"I want you to know, Blake, I love you. And I will not rest until you are back by my side."

* * *

He typed away at the control panel, his finger hovering over the final key. He looked over at Pyrrha's pod.

"Are you ready?" Ozpin asked. Pyrrha nodded at him. His finger twitched and he shook his head. "I… I need to hear you say it."

"Do it," Pyrrha said. Ozpin pressed the key, closing his eyes as the process began.

"Thank you, Miss Nikos." Pyrrha began to scream in agony, the beeping from Amber's pod increasing. He opened his eyes, and squeezed his cane as Amber's soul was ripped from her body and traveled down the tubes, bright orange in color.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune yelled, running over to the pod, banging on the glass as Pyrrha writhed. Ozpin's eyes widened as he heard glass shatter and the beeping from Amber's pod cease. He spun around, sucking in a breath; a long black arrow was sticking from Amber's pod, the arrow piercing her heart.

Ozpin turned, scowling. Cinder stood across from them, her body illuminated by the green torches, her long black bow in hand. Cinder smiled knowingly at him.

* * *

Yang's eyes went wide as her fist hit the Ursa's face. She was out of shells. The Ursa growled, pinning her left arm to the ground. Yang strained against it, throwing a punch at the Ursa with a yell.

The Ursa's jaws clamped down on her arm, saliva running down, and its teeth sinking into Ember Celica. The Ursa jerked its head back and Yang screamed in pain as her arm was painfully pulled up. The Ursa kept its massive paw on her other arm, keeping her pinned to the ground. The Ursa yanked its head to the side, excruciating pain shooting through Yang as she screamed in agony, hearing a sickening crunch as her arm was twisted. Her aura broke, shimmering around her. The Ursa yanked its head in the other direction, Yang's screaming growing louder, thrashing on the ground as she tried to free her other arm. Her arm broke, her humorous jutting out of the skin, blood running down her arm. The Ursa jerked its head back, and Yang closed her eyes, screaming her throat raw. She felt her skin and muscles tearing as her arm was ripped off.

Yang continued to scream, blood gushing from her stump. She felt the Ursa's grip on her other arm lessen and she retched it free, scrambling away from the Ursa at it bit into her arm, ripping into her flesh, blood soaking its muzzle with each bite. Her body was growing cold, black spots appearing in her vision as she scrambled over to Violet's rifle. She grabbed it, fumbling with it as she turned. The Ursa looked up at her, blood and drool dripping from its muzzle as it glared at her. It tossed her arm to the side and charged at her with a roar. She screamed, pulling the trigger, the recoil kicking her like a mule. The bullets slammed into the Ursa's face, ripping through its bone armor. The Ursa convulsed as she fired, its face being reduced to a pulp.

The Ursa fell to the ground, smoke rising off its body. Yang gasped for air, her world growing dark. She collapsed, the rifle falling from her hand.

* * *

Pyrrha screamed as she felt Amber's presence get ripped from her. She saw an orange light burtst from Amber's pod and go towards the Red Woman. She smiled as she absorbed the orange light, laughing as she began to ascend into the air, the torches on the walls snuffing out, her body being consumed by fire. Jaune charged forward with a yell, and Pyrrha began to beat against the glass of the pod, the glass shattering under her punches.

Jaune yelled as a fireball was launched at him. He threw up his shield, grunting as it slammed into him, throwing him back and slamming into the machine. She could hear him groaning in pain as she pounded on the glass.

She grit her teeth, and the front of her pod was enveloped in a black glow. She pushed forward with a yell, the pods front being ripped off and launching at the woman. The metal melted, splattering onto the floor when it hit the woman. Pyrrha dashed out, her spear and shield sliding into place.

Ozpin's arm flew out in front of her, halting her in her tracks. She looked over at him in confusion.

"Grab Jaune and get out of here! Get Glynda and the others! We can't let this tower fall!" Pyrrha frowned.

"I can help!" Ozpin looked back at her, his half-moon glasses resting on his nose.

"You'll just be in the way." Pyrrha looked over at the woman as the fires around her began to die. She slowly began to float down to the floor, smirking at them, her orange eyes glowing.

Pyrrha sheathed her weapons, and ran over to Jaune, helping him to his feet and started to run, practically dragging Jaune behind her as they fled.

* * *

Blake screamed, pain shooting through her as he pushed his blade further in. Her screams were muffled as he shoved his mouth over hers. He shoved his tongue into her mouth, moaning into her mouth. Blake's eyes watered. Oh Gods he was in her, he was in her, oh Gods this was wrong. He pulled back, licking her blood off his lips.

"Your kisses are just as sweet as I remember." She felt the tears run down her cheeks, bile at the back of her throat, her body going cold.

"BLAKE!" Blake craned her neck, her breath hitching in her throat. Coco and Fox stood in the doorway of the building. She gasped as Adam pulled out of her, and she collapsed onto the ground, her hand going to her stomach. She raised her hand, her body trembling. She coughed, tasting copper.

"Please…no…"

Fox and Coco charged forward. Fox leaped, his arm blades catching the light of the fires. Adam smirked and swung his sword, Fox's arm flying off, his blood spraying into the air, a huge gash in his chest. Fox fell to the ground with a thud, his blood pooling around him, his body twitching. Coco swung at Adam with her purse, screaming. Adam sidestepped her swing, punching her in the face, her glasses shattering. Coco staggered back, letting out a strangled gasp when Adam grabbed her by the throat.

Blake locked eyes with Coco; the terror in Coco's eyes chilling her to the bone.

"Run!" Coco yelled. Blake glanced up at the broken windows and then back at Coco.

She ran.

* * *

Coco grabbed at his hand, kicking her legs as he lifted her up. He tightened his grip, and she gasped for air, struggling to breath. Her purse fell to the ground as she struggled against his grip.

He raised his sword, the red blade soaked in blood. He grinned as he stabbed forward. Coco's breath hitched, her body growing numb, blood soaking into her sweater. Her aura crackled around her. He yanked his sword back, specks of her blood flicking onto his face. Her vision started to go black, her head swimming, barely feeling the floor as he released her. She coughed, blood filling her mouth as she stared over at Fox's limp body. She saw Him leave before the world went dark.

* * *

Ozpin straightened his back, tightening his grip on his cane. Cinder's smirk fell, a scowl replacing it.

"Salem was right about you." He glowered at her. "Hiding her below everyone's feet." Cinder snorted. "You truly are as much of an arrogant fool as she said you were."


	50. Cold

Cinder dashed forward, molten blades materializing in her hands. Ozpin charged, swinging his cane and catching her blow. She smirked at him, wrenching her blades free before she swung at him. Ozpin parried, their speed inhumane as they slashed and jabbed at each other.

Ozpin ducked under one of her swords, slamming the end of his cane into her stomach. Cinder grunted as she was launched back. Cinder slid against the ground, jabbing her hand into the marble floor, fires springing from her hand, melting the stones around her. She rose up, chunks of molten marble rising with her. She launched them at him with a yell, burning a bright orange in the darkness.

Ozpin held his ground, swinging his cane, shattering the stones as they were launched at him, the fires washing over him. He glared at her as flames consumed her hands. She jabbed her hands forward, a vortex of fire springing from her hands and launching at him. He grit his teeth, and slammed his cane into the ground, a green bubble encasing him. The world around him turned orange as the flames washed over his barrier.

He gasped as the flames dissipated, Cinder smashing through his barrier, her orange eyes glowing as she swung her blades. He screamed as the first blade ripped through his aura, slicing into his chest. Cinder's smile grew as she swung her second sword at his neck.

* * *

Winter's body was stiff as she directed people towards the evac shuttles. Many of the people were injured, their wounds shoddily treated with makeshift first aid supplies. She saw Qrow motioning to the shuttles with his scythe.

"This is last call, folks! This is a mandatory evacuation!" Winter saw the distrust in people's eyes as they looked at her, at her Atlesian uniform.

"A safe zone has been established in Vale! Atlas personal will help you once you arrive! Please, listen to their instructions, and remain calm!" Winter almost flinched as a passing Faunus spat at her, his spittle splattering against her uniform. "The Atlas military will do all in its power to help you!" She said as the Faunus shuffled past her and into the ship. She ignored the dirty looks, she couldn't afford to let it get to her right now. She scanned the crowd of people. Where was Weiss?

Her head perked up, was that an airship? She broke her bearing and looked behind her, her breath hitching in her throat at the sight of her family crest on that familiar ship as it soared toward the safe zone.

* * *

 _i can't die here_

Yang opened her eyes with a groan, her body freezing and clammy. She coughed and got to her knees, her breathing ragged. Her head was spinning as she grabbed the rifle and used it to help her get to her feet. She stumbled to the burning stall Violet's corpse was next to, falling over several times, blood from her stump dripping onto her as she forced herself back to her feet each time.

She stuck the butt of Violet's rifle into the fire, watching the end of it start to turn red. She was swaying as she pulled the rifle out, black spots appearing in her vision again.

This is gonna fucking suck. This is gonna fucking suck. This is so gonna fucking suck. She grit her teeth and jabbed the red hot metal against her stump. Her eyes shot open and she screamed in agony, the rifle butt searing her flesh, her blood sizzling against the hot metal.

She flung the gun away with a scream, clutching her stump, her flesh charred and blackened. She held onto her stump, her vision blurring as she stumbled away from the burning stall. Have to get out, have to get out, must be a way out.

She stumbled and fell, groaning, her vision dark. She struggled to raise her head, gasping for air. I can't. Her body went limp, her head hitting the grass. She closed her eyes, the fires crackling around her.

 _i'm sorry_

She heard flapping and a bird caw. She would have cried if she could. Eaten by a bird? She never thought it would end like that. She felt something press against the top of her head, moving her head around, digging her face into the grass.

"You just gonna lay down and die?" Yang's eyes snapped open. She could hear the smirk on Raven's face as she spoke. "I guess I was wrong about you, Yang. You're as weak as your father." Yang forced her head up, gnashing her teeth together, a fire coursing through her viens. Raven's face was obscured by her mask, but there was no mistaking that sadistic glint in those red eyes.

Raven stepped off of her as Yang forced herself to stand, red replacing the black spots in her vision. She swayed as she stood, snarling at Raven.

"Fuck you," she said. Raven laughed, taking a step back.

"I thought you were going to kill me, Yang? Isn't that what you want?" Yang stumbled forward, swinging at Raven weakly.

"I am gonna kill you, you bitch." Raven began to walk backwards, holding her arms out, as if asking for Yang to punch her.

"Then do it." Fire coursed through her as she followed after Raven, swinging at her, stumbling as she went, her breathing ragged.

* * *

Weiss paced across the courtyard, rubbing her wrists. Where were Coco and Blake? Nora and Ren lay groaning on the ground as Neptune tended to their wounds. She saw Velvet cross her arms and look over the burning cafeteria. Velvet looked over at her.

"I'm going after them." Velvet said. Weiss nodded.

"Be safe," Weiss said. Velvet nodded, and motioned for Yatsuhashi to follow. They ran off, their weapons drawn. Weiss sighed, and rubbed her wrist.

Her head snapped over as she heard Sun yell, and gasped, her eyes going wide. Yang was stumbling towards them, swinging weakly, sweat coating her skin as she mumbled something over and over. Her right arm was missing, a small stub with the end blackened and charred was all that remained.

Weiss ran forward, catching Yang as she fell.

"I'm gonna kill you… I'm gonna kill you…" Yang was saying, her voice hoarse. Weiss lowered them both to the ground, her heart thumping in her chest. She laid Yang down, putting her hand to Yang's head, and yanking it back. Yang's body felt like it was burning, sweat running down her body. She looked over at Yang's stump to see red cracks in her flesh, something gross oozing from the cracks. Yang stopped swinging, looking at her, confusion on her face. "Where…? Where did mom go?" Weiss swallowed, her mind racing. She undid her sash and yanked it free of her pouch.

"It's going to be okay, Yang. I'm here." She said. She wrapped it around Yang's stump, causing Yang to hiss in pain as she tied it tight. The white cloth started to turn a sickening yellow brown. Yang blinked as she looked at Weiss, seeming less confused.

"Weiss?" Weiss nodded her head, grasping Yang's hand and giving it a squeeze.

"I'm here, Yang. It's going to be okay." Yang pulled her hand free, and rested it against Weiss' face, her glove ripped and her hand rough to the touch.

"I…" Yang's hand slipped from Weiss' face, her head rolling to the side as her eyes closed. Weiss grabbed Yang's hand, shaking it, panicking.

"Yang?! Yang, wake up!" Yang didn't stir, her breathing steady.

Weiss heard footsteps behind her and looked back. Ruby stood behind her, her silver eyes wide and her mouth agape as she stared at her sister. Ruby shook her head, falling to her knees. She hiccupped, tears welling.

"Yang…"

Weiss looked up as a voice blared from a speaker.

"This is a mandatory evacuation! We have transportation on the docks! All Beacon students and staff are required to leave!" Weiss bit her lip as she grasped Yang's hand, tears running down Ruby's face.

Sun walked over to them, his face sullen as he rubbed his arm.

"Guys, if we leave, we can get Yang some help. She isn't looking too good." Weiss looked over at Nora as she grunted in pain, struggling to her feet, her grenade launcher in hand. Nora gasped, and grasped her chest.

"Jaune, Pyrrha, Coco, Fox, and Blake are still missing, we aren't leaving without them." Neptune forced Nora back down, shaking his head.

"Velvet and Yatsuhashi are getting their team mates and Blake." Ren tried to stand, crying out in pain as he fell back to the ground.

"We can't… leave Jaune and Pyrrha behind," he said. Sun scowled, pointing over at Beacon.

"The Grimm are swarming through the school, that huge ass monster is going after the tower! We have to get out of here while we still can! For fucks sake, even the White Fang are pulling out!" Weiss' eyes darted over to the burning cafeteria, her heart aching. Blake was safe, right? She heard Ruby get to her feet, and looked over at her.

Ruby wiped at her face with her sleeve, sniffling. Ruby lowered her arm, her voice thick with emotion as she spoke.

"I'll find them. I'll find Jaune and Pyrrha and bring them back." Weiss sprang to her feet, flailing her arms as she stood in front of Ruby.

"Are you out of your mind, Ruby? That's suicide! If you go back there, you-" The words died on her tongue as Ruby embraced her, burying her face in her shoulder. Weiss wrapped her arms around Ruby as she felt Ruby start to tremble. Ruby laughed, and shook her head, her voice muffled by Weiss' shoulder.

"I'm sorry I wasn't a better leader, Weiss." Weiss blinked in confusion as Ruby spoke. "Blake and Yang… they're really going to need you after this. A dependable leader, like you." Weiss pulled Ruby away from her shoulder, grasping Ruby's shoulders. Ruby smiled sadly at her.

"Ruby, what are you saying?"

"Take care of Yang for me," Ruby said. Weiss' eyes widened as Ruby broke free of her grasp and sprinted off, leaving a trail of rose petals behind her as she used her semblance. Weiss held her hand in the air as Ruby became a red speck, feeling tears slide down her cheeks.

"Please, come back."

* * *

Velvet vaulted through the flaming window of the cafeteria, coughing as she hit the ground. Smoke filled most of the room, the flames crackling all around her. She moved forward slowly, a hand over her mouth. She heard Yatsu leap in after her.

"Coco! Fox!" She coughed, glancing around as she sidestepped burning tables, the heat excruciating. "Blake!" She stopped, staring at the floor. Blake's sword was on the ground, was that blood on the blade?

Velvet looked from Blake's sword to the-

No.

Velvet dashed forward, falling to her knees. No, no, no! NO!

Coco's glasses were shattered, her brown eyes glazed over, dried blood on her lips and chin. There was a hole in her chest, her sweater soaked in her blood. She lifted Coco up, cradling her as she started to cry. She looked behind her as she heard Yatsu whimper. He was cradling Fox in his arms; a large slash through Fox's chest, his arm missing. Velvet looked away, rocking back and forth as she cradled Coco. She could see a headless body off to the side, its features obscured by the smoke.

"I'm getting them out," Yatsu said. Velvet nodded, hearing him stand up and grunt as he lifted Fox over his shoulder. Velvet stood up, straining to lift Coco's body, her heart aching as Coco's head rolled limply with the movement.

* * *

Jaune ran down the steps, Pyrrha running in front of him. Pyrrha slowed to a stop, and turned, looking back at the CCT. Jaune came to a stop, noticing Pyrrha balling her hands into fists as she looked at the tower. He pulled his scroll out, hastily scrolling through his contacts.

"I think I have Glynda's number, we can call her, and she can come here, and-" He stopped as he felt a rumble. He looked back, a fiery glow shooting up the tower. He felt his arm fall as he watched the glow reach the top of the tower. "Ozpin…" Pyrrha frowned, and turned to him, grabbing his shoulders.

"Get to Vale, and bring help." Jaune stared at her in confusion.

"And what are you going to do?" Pyrrha said nothing, her eyes darting over to the tower. His eyes widened and he shook his head, shoving her hands off his shoulders. "Pyrrha, no! That women is too powerful! If Ozpin couldn't beat her, what makes you think you can?"

"Jaune? Do you believe in destiny?" Pyrrha asked. He frowned. "I told you that I always thought I was destined to protect Remnant." She smiled at him, fear in her eyes. "What kind of a person would I be if I didn't face my destiny?"

Jaune grabbed her shoulders, standing on his toes as he placed his lips against hers. Pyrrha wrapped her arms around him, closing her eyes, her tongue sliding into his mouth. He broke the kiss after a moment, his lips tingling. Pyrrha opened her eyes, resting her forehead on his. He wrapped his arms around her, trying to keep his voice even as he spoke.

"I won't let you die, Pyrrha. If… if you really think it's your destiny to stop her, then I'm going with you. And you can't stop me." Pyrrha cupped her hands around his face, almost smiling.

"Okay."

Pyrrha let go of him, turning and staring at the tower. Her shield slid into place, and she looked over at him, her expression hard.

"Don't be reckless, and follow my lead." Jaune nodded. They ran up the steps of the CCT, running through the wrecked entrance. Pyrrha stopped in front of the elevator, a black glow enveloping the doors. She swung her arms to the side with a grunt, the doors ripping off. There was a hole in the roof and ceiling of the elevator, the ends of the metal singed, the smell of burnt metal wafting out. Pyrrha stepped into the elevator, and Jaune followed, grabbing a hold of the railing on the wall. Pyrrha held out her arms, the elevator glowing black. She grit her teeth, a strained expression on her face. She swung her arms down, and Jaune stumbled, his stomach doing flips as the elevator was launched upward.

* * *

Qrow watched the crowd of people, looking for any sign of Ruby or Yang or their friends. He saw a familiar blonde and ivory in the crowd, and sighed in relief. His relief dissipated as they drew near, his jaw dropping as Weiss struggled to walk, Yang leaning against her, practically being dragged along by Weiss. Yang's right arm was gone; shoddy bandaging over her stump.

Qrow ran from his post and to them, sheathing his scythe, and taking Yang's arm from Weiss. Weiss walked alongside him as he went to the shuttle.

"What happened?" he asked. Weiss shook her head, out of breath.

"I don't know. She passed out after wandering into the courtyard like that." She said. He grunted, shoving past a man as he entered the shuttle. He set Yang into an empty seat, and Weiss took the seat next to Yang. Yang leaned onto Weiss, and Weiss grabbed her hand, holding it, closing her eyes, looking exhausted. Qrow looked out of the shuttle, and frowned.

"Where's Ruby?" Weiss didn't answer right away and he looked at her, his frown deepening. He saw Weiss' mouth open and close several times before she spoke.

"She went back into Beacon to try and save Jaune and Pyrrha."

Qrow bolted, shoving people out of the way as he ran. He wasn't going to lose her too.

* * *

The elevator dinged as Pyrrha ripped the doors open, hurling her spear, and charging out with her shield raised. Jaune ran beside her, his sword and shield raised.

The Red Woman stood in the center of Ozpin's office, her arms crossed, smiling smugly. Pyrrha's spear was embedded in in the glass behind the Woman. Pyrrha grasped it with her semblance, pulling it to her side. She raised her shield, her spear aimed at the Woman.

The Woman swung her arm, fire spewing forth. Pyrrha rolled out of the way, the heat from the flames washing over her. She sprung to her feet, and spun to the side as Pyrrha as a vortex of fire shot past her. She grit her teeth, watching Jaune dodging fire out of the corner of her eye. The Woman cocked an eyebrow at Jaune and raised her hands up, flames materializing. Jaune grimaced, raising his shield, and shouted

"Arkos!" Pyrrha dashed in front of him as he took a knee, throwing his shield in front of him at an angle. Pyrrha leapt onto his shield, curling herself behind her own as the fire vortex shot at them. She sprung from Jaune's shield, Akoúo̱ uncomfortably hot as the flames washed over her.

She slammed into the Woman, hearing her grunt. She landed on her feet, jabbing forward with her spear. She gasped in shock as the Woman grabbed a hold of the spear tip. The Woman smirked and yanked on her spear before punching Pyrrha in the face. Pyrrha yelled as she was thrown back, slamming against the wall, her head swimming, and her weapons being flung from her grasp. She slid down, and shook her head, gnashing her teeth. Jaune charged at the Woman, slashing at her with his sword. The Woman looked amused as she danced around his blade.

The Woman kicked Jaune away, and turned to Pyrrha, launching herself at her, his fist aflame and her eyes glowing orange. Pyrrha growled and dodged the Woman's punch, locking her arms around her body and tossing her over her shoulder. The Woman landed nimbly, and swung her leg in a roundhouse kick, fire spewing forth.

Pyrrha ducked under the flames, pulling her spear and shield to her side and charging at the Woman, noting Jaune as he scrambled to his feet. The Woman merely smirked as Pyrrha hacked and jabbed at her with her spear, Jaune slashing at her with his sword. The Woman danced around their weapons, her speed inhuman as she maneuvered around their attacks. The Woman grunted in annoyance as Jaune's sword slashed against her arm. She kicked him in the gut, launching him away.

Pyrrha pounced, tackling the Woman to the ground, wrestling against her as she managed to wrap her spear staff under her throat. She jerked the Woman to her feet, snarling, jerking up on her spear, hearing the Woman gag as she was choked. The Woman grabbed at her spear, grasping the staff.

"Jaune!" She shouted. Jaune got to his feet and ran at them with a yell, his sword raised. Pyrrha's head jerked to the side as she heard a rumble, her eyes shooting wide as the Beast peered into the room, its orange eyes glowing bright.

Pyrrha gasped as her spear staff shattered, shards of metal flying into the air. She grunted as the Woman slammed her elbow into her gut, launching her back and slamming against the wall. The glass in the office shattered, spraying into the room. The Beast roared, and the roof was ripped off, the Beast soaring off as it dropped the roof. She heard Jaune scream as he was kicked into a pile of rubble by the Woman. He collapsed onto the ground, unmoving.

Pyrrha staggered to her feet, her shield cracked. The Woman smirked, flames consuming her hands as she strode toward her. Pyrrha's eyes darted over to Ozpin's metal desk. She grabbed it with her semblance and hurled it at the Woman with a yell. The Woman was thrown off her feet, and growled as she melted the desk, snarling at Pyrrha.

The Woman punched forward, flames launching from her hands. Pyrrha rolled to the side, throwing up her shield as a wall of fire shot over her. She got to her feet, gritting her teeth as the Woman threw her hands up, a wall of flames encircling her. She leapt threw the flames, tossing her shield at her. The Woman knocked it to the side, snarling at her. Pyrrha ducked out of the way as fire was shot at her, grabbing the multitude of giant gears with her semblance. She spun on her heel, dodging a blast of fire, and faced the Woman. The Woman frowned before her eyes widened in shock as she noticed the giant gears hovering above her.

Pyrrha pulled her arms down, the gears slamming into the Woman, grinding against each other, the metal groaning as they crumpled against each other. Flames shot from the open spaces in the gears, and she heard a yell as the gears were thrown back with an explosion. Pyrrha's eyes shot open as a gear shot at her. She threw up her arms, grunting as it slammed into her, her aura breaking as she was thrown backwards.

She screamed in pain when she hit the wall, pieces of metal impaling themselves in her shoulder, stomach, and heel. Blood soaked the metal, and dripped down her body. Her breathing was strained as she tried to grab the metal with her semblance. A black glow enveloped them for a moment before flickering and dissipating. Her eye's widened in horror as she heard clapping. She looked over to see the Woman striding over to her, smirking while she clapped.

"It is truly unfortunate you were promised such a power, Pyrrha." She stopped clapping, and Pyrrha cried out in pain when she tried to struggle against the metal, feeling it cut into her body. "You were never meant to wield such power," she said. The Woman stopped in front of her, and reached out, her touch gentle as she rested her hand on her chin. Pyrrha swallowed as the Woman raised her chin, looking into her eyes. The Woman raised her other hand, black glass encasing it, her finger appearing like a Grimm claw. The Woman smiled. "I want you to take comfort in the fact that I will use this power to do things that are far beyond your imagination."

* * *

Ruby ran through the courtyard, Crescent Rose in hand. Nevermore's and Griffons soared through the skies above her, their screeches and roars filling the air. The Grimm dragon roared, the ground shaking, Ruby's ear's left ringing as the Beast flew overhead. It landed on the Tower, roaring again as its claws dug into the concrete, dust and stones flying into the air as the Beast started to climb up the tower. Oily black goo fell from the dragon, Ursa's and Beowolves crawling from the goo, roaring and growling.

Ruby grit her teeth, ducking to the ground as a Nevermore swooped down, trying to snatch her into the air with its razor sharp talons. Ruby sprang to her feet, sprinting forward, leaping out of the way as a pair of wolves lunged at her. She landed with a tumble, spinning around and swinging her scythe, slicing the heads off the two wolves as they leapt at her.

She looked up at the tower with a grimace; someone had attacked it before, and that giant Grimm was heading for the top. Jaune and Pyrrha must be up there.

She started to run, gasping as an Ursa charged at her. She dashed toward the Ursa, sliding between its legs, her scythe ripping its leg off, and sprung to her feet on the other side. Sweat coated her brow, her hair damp and sticking to her face as she ran. She couldn't stop. There were too many Grimm, she had to keep going. She had to reach the top and save them.

Crescent Rose took its rifle form and she fired at the wolves on the steps of the tower, their heads exploding, their blood and brains painting the steps as she ran past. She ran through the torn apart entrance, and to the staircase. She sprinted up the steps, her breaths coming out in ragged gasps. Have to keep going. Have to save them.

Ruby tripped, crying out as she fell, her chin slamming against the stairs. She groaned in pain, forcing herself to stand, her head spinning. She gagged, and bent over, vomiting onto the stairs. Her body shook, her head pounding, white spots popping up in her vision. She shook her head, Crescent Rose taking its scythe form. She embedded it in the ground, using it to help herself stand, gasping for air, and the taste of bile in her mouth. She started to run up the steps, her legs like gelatin as she ran, her muscles burning.

Have to keep going. Have to save them.

* * *

Jaune groaned, lifting his head up, his vision blurred. Pyrrha was impaled on several twisted pieces of metal, the Woman in front of her, a finger raised, black glass encasing it. The Woman grabbed a hold of Pyrrha's face, and stabbed her finger into Pyrrha's face. Pyrrha screamed, the Woman trailing her finger down, blood gushing down Pyrrha's face as it was slashed open.

Jaune grabbed his sword, charging at the Woman with a yell. The Woman let Pyrrha go, spinning around and catching his blade as he swung at her. She smirked, yanking his sword out of his grip.

"Jaune! Run!" Pyrrha screamed. Jaune raised his fists, struggling to keep his hands from shaking. The Woman chuckled, and beckoned to him. He charged at the Woman, yelling, hearing Pyrrha screaming at him. He swung at her; she smiled as she caught his fist. She jerked his arm, his aura breaking, his arm snapping, his radius jutting out of his skin. Jaune screamed, blood running down his arm. The Woman grabbed a hold of his forearm, and he was flung off his feet and into the remaining wall. Stars erupted in his vision as his head slammed against the wall.

The Woman materialized in front of him, grabbing him by his jacket and hurling him into one of the gears. He screamed as he heard a sickening crunch as his leg smashed against the metal. He felt blood running down his jeans, crying out as he tried to stand, his leg twisted and broken. The Woman sauntered over, enjoying his pain.

He leaned against the leaned against the cog, unable to stand, his broken arm going numb. The Woman stopped in front of him, and he swung a fist at her weakly. She stepped out of the way of his punch, and slammed her fist onto his head, hurling him to the ground. Blood spurted from his nose as he hit the floor, his nose breaking.

He groaned as he felt the Woman grab his hood and lift him up; Pyrrha was screaming, tears and blood running down her face. He couldn't hear her. The Woman took up his vision, a devilish smile on her face. She grabbed his neck, her fingers tightening around his throat. He gasped for air as she lifted him into the air, holding him above her head. The Woman looked back at Pyrrha, saying something. He saw Pyrrha's eyes widened as she stared up at him. His eyes locked with hers. He tried to say something, unable to move his mouth, his cheek bone broken.

His throat began to burn, an orange glow coming from the Woman's hand.

* * *

Ruby burst through the door, gasping for air. Her breath hitched in her throat, her headache becoming unbearable, eyes shooting wide at what she saw.

Pyrrha sobbing.

Cinder smirking.

Jaune burning.

Ruby screamed.

She opened her eyes, blinking in confusion at the white ceiling looking back at her. Her head was throbbing, and she could hear a beeping from somewhere. She turned her head, her vision starting to clear up.

Her Uncle Qrow was sitting in a chair, his head resting on chest as he slept. She looked from him to the small white desk next to her bed. There was a bouquet of black roses, and she recognized her father's handwriting on the card next to it.

She sat up, groaning slightly, her body sore and aching. Qrow's eyes fluttered open and he lifted his head. He smiled at her, getting out of his chair.

"Hey there, kiddo. How ya feelin?" He asked.

"I kinda hurt all over," She said. She sat up a bit more. "What happened?"

"I brought you down from the tower, and brought you and the others here. You've been in a coma for almost a week." Ruby rested a hand against her head, struggling to remember what had happened. Weiss hunched over Yang, her ribbon tied around Yang's-

Ruby's eyes widened and she looked over at her Uncle.

"Yang! Is… is she okay?" Qrow sighed, looking down at the floor.

"Hard to say. She's a fighter, and I know nothing can hold her down but… what happened to her would break most people. It's going to take some time for her to recover from that."

"What about the school? And the city? Did they clear the Grimm out?" Qrow nodded.

"Vale's doing as well as you'd expect. We Hunters have been busy clearing out the last of the Grimm and driving them back past the Wall. Beacon though? That place is fucked pretty hard." He seemed to reach for his flask before stopping, his hand falling back to his side. "You did a number on that Beast but you didn't kill it. It's frozen at the top of Beacon's tower, and all the nearby Grimm are drawn to it. Getting Beacon to its former glory is gonna be next to impossible until that thing is dead." Ruby cocked her head to the side, confused.

"I did what now?" Ruby asked. Qrow cocked an eyebrow.

"Hm?"

"You said I did a number on it. What did you mean? Did I fight that thing?" Qrow took his seat, leaning forward, his hands held together.

"What's the last thing that you remember?" Ruby looked down at her sheets as she thought.

"I ran up the tower, and I threw open the door and-" Flames, screams, and tears. She clutched the sheets, her knuckles turning white. No. No, he couldn't be. She looked over at her Uncle. His face was solemn. "Jaune. Please tell me he's okay." Qrow shook his head, his voice low.

"He's gone." Ruby's eyes watered, letting go of the sheets to wipe at her eyes as the tears ran down her cheeks.

"I got to the top and there was that woman and Pyrrha and Jaune and then everything went white."

"Anything else?" She nodded, sniffling.

"My head was really hurting, like a really bad migraine."

"Do you remember what Ozpin said to you the first time you met him?" Ruby gave her uncle an odd look as she tried to think back to so many months ago. She shook her head.

"I don't really remember. I think it was something about my-"

"Silver Eyes." Qrow leaned back in his chair, propping a leg up. "That's an extremely rare trait, did you know that?" Ruby shook her head.

"So? What's this have to do with anything?"

"It's because you're special, Ruby. Not in the 'daddy loves his special angel' sort of way either. You're special in the same way your mom was." Qrow leaned forward, his red eyes bearing into her. "You're the last Silver Eyed Warrior." Ruby blinked, fidgeting under her uncle's gaze.

"I'm a what?"

"Remnant's full of stories, Ruby. Most of 'em are made up. But some of them… some of them are true. And one of the oldest is the story of the Silver Eyed Warriors. Back before Kingdoms, before Hunters, when Remnant was still new, there were the Silver Eyed Warriors. Noble warriors who led humanity in their wars against the Grimm. They were the best of the best, and it was said that a single look from them could strike a dozen Grimm down. As time passed and Remnant turned into what it is today, the Silver Eyes became more and more rare, until disappearing from history completely. Outside of one ancient family; the Rose's."

"And… and you think I'm…? That mom was a Warrior like that?" Qrow chuckled.

"There's a giant dragon frozen on Beacon tower after going against you, and here you are, safe in your hospital bed. I think that speaks for itself." Qrow got up from his chair, and went to the window, slipping his hands into his pockets as he looked out it. Ruby looked over at him, noticing it was early morning. Ruby frowned.

"Wait. How did you know what Professor Ozpin said to me?"

"You know all those missions I go on, Ruby? How I'm always away in some far off place? I'm out working for Oz. There have been forces working in the shadows for quite some time, and this was only the beginning of what they have planned. With Oz dead, I'm going to have to take over in his place."

"What can I do then?" Ruby asked. Qrow looked over at her, cocking an eyebrow. "I mean, if I'm this special warrior like you say I am, then I can help stop whoever did this, right?" Qrow shook his head.

"You're in no shape to do anything right now. If you really want to help, you can get some rest, and leave this mess to the adults. I'm not working alone, Ruby, so don't worry about helping out." Her uncle sighed, and went to the door. He looked back at her with a smile. "I'm glad you and Yang are safe. Just try and get some rest, okay kiddo?" He opened the door and left, the door clicking shut behind him.

Ruby leaned back, her head resting against her pillow as she stared up at the ceiling. She sighed before getting out of bed.

* * *

Yang stared out the window, her breakfast uneaten as it sat next to the sunflowers Dad had brought for her. She rubbed the end of her stump, feeling like her right arm was still there. She heard the door to her room creak open.

"Yang?" Yang turned away, trying to keep Ruby from seeing her like this. She heard Ruby turn to leave, and sighed, closing her eyes.

"Ruby." She opened her eyes and looked over at her sister. Ruby's eyes went to her stump before Ruby ran forward, throwing her arms around her, burying her face in her hair.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Yang." Yang snorted.

"I'm not okay, Ruby." Ruby pulled back, her eyes darting to her stump again. "Everything is gone. The school. Penny. Jaune." She motioned to herself, looking away from Ruby as she felt the tears welling. "Everything's so messed up right now." Ruby took a step back, playing with her hands.

"Yang? Where are Weiss and Blake?"

* * *

Weiss kept her eyes closed, hearing people hurry onto the shuttle. Her body felt like lead, Yang's hand rough and slick with sweat. She heard the shuttle door close and her stomach did flips as the shuttle took off. She tightened her grip on Yang's hand when she heard her moan her name.

The ship jolted as it came to a stop, and the door swung open. Atlas troops stood waiting for them, motioning for them to get out.

"Those needing medical assistance follow me." One of the soldiers said. Weiss got up, pulling Yang to her feet, leaning Yang against her and walking down the ramp. Several other injured people were with her as she followed after the soldier.

The safe zone was bustling with activity; Hunters and soldiers barking out orders, a multitude of tents having been set up. A makeshift airdock had been set up as evac shuttles continuously landed and took off.

Yang continued to moan her name, her feet dragging against the ground as Weiss pulled her along. They reached a group of large white tents marked with a red plus. The soldier directed them to a tent, and Weiss hurried in, laying Yang down on one of the medical beds.

Weiss crouched next to Yang, grasping her hand, running her thumb over Yang's torn up glove. Yang's eyes opened, and she stared at Weiss, glancing down at their held hands.

"Weiss? Where am I? What's happening?" Weiss placed her other hand onto Yang's, trying to smile at Yang, to keep her calm.

"You… you took a really bad hit. We're in Vale now, and you're going to get help. Everything's going to be okay." She smiled. Yang groaned in pain, and coughed, her body trembling.

"You're… you're not gonna leave me, right?" Weiss shook her head, holding Yang's hand tight.

"I won't leave you." Weiss heard someone enter the tent and she looked back at the entrance, glad the doctor had arriv-

Her eyes widened in horror, her blood turning to ice, her mouth falling open. No, no, he couldn't be here, that was impossible.

Her father stood in the entrance of the tent. His piercing blue eyes lingered on Yang before darting to her. He straightened his tie before speaking, his voice sharp and cutting through her.

"Time to come home, Weiss." Weiss shook her head, her body trembling. She felt Yang tighten her grip around her hand. Her father narrowed his eyes at her, and strode over, snatching her wrist with his skeletal hand. "That wasn't a request." He jerked her to her feet, and she cried out in pain. He pulled her forward, Yang's grip on her other hand a vice.

"Weiss!" Yang cried. Weiss struggled against her father's grip, looking at Yang, pleading with her eyes. Her father grunted and yanked her arm again, yanking her free of Yang's grasp. Weiss reached out, her finger's so close to Yang's as Yang reached out.

"Yang!" She cried. Yang fell from the bed, groaning in pain. Her father yanked on her arm, and she was out of the tent.

Weiss struggled against his grip, trying to break free as he tugged her along.

"Let me go!" she said.

"You'll thank me for this, Weiss. Vale is too dangerous for you." Weiss grit her teeth, trying to tug her hand free. Her head snapped back as an explosion cut through the air. Her eyes widened in horror as the top of the tower at Beacon crumbled, the dragon roar's loud even from where she stood. Her stomach dropped. Ruby…

She felt herself being dragged along, her body going numb. Ruby was okay, right? She didn't go to the tower, did she? Dread shot through her as she saw her father's airship. The dread turned to confusion at who she saw standing in front of the ship.

Winter stood in front of the airship, her uniform torn and ripped, her hair bun undone, Grimm blood staining her clothes and body. Her father stopped, keeping a tight hold of her wrist. Winter glowered at their father.

"Winter, step aside." Winter said nothing, drawing her sword, a white glyph materializing beneath her. Her father snarled.

"Release my sister, now." Winter growled.

"You dare raise your blade to me!" Her father shouted. Winter smirked, aiming the tip of the blade at him.

"I dare much more, father." A snow white wolf materialized behind Winter, growling at their father. Her father grimaced.

"Captain Schnee!" Winter's confidence dissipated, and she saw her father smile. Weiss looked back to see General Ironwood running up to them, scowling. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Your Captain is keeping me from taking my daughter back home with me," her father said. Winter snarled at him, her wolf's growl deepening.

"Weiss does not want to go back with you, you bastard!" Winter yelled. Ironwood looked at her, and Weiss pleaded for help with her eyes.

"Do you want to leave with him, Weiss?" She hesitated before shaking her head. She yelped in pain as her father yanked on her arm.

"I will not let the Heir to my company stay in this warzone." Her father turned to Ironwood, looking smug. "And I need not remind you, James, who is keeping your military funded." Ironwood looked away from her father and then to her before closing his eyes, sighing.

"Captain Schnee. Stand down." Weiss' lip trembled, her body ice cold. She looked at her sister, mouthing 'please' to her. Winter's face was twisted with emotion; rage, hatred, indecision. Winter swallowed, and sheathed her sword, her wolf disintegrating in a flurry of snowflakes. Winter stepped aside, her head hung low.

Her father pulled her along, the hatch to the ship opening. Her father looked over at Winter as they walked past her.

"Consider yourself official disowned from this family. Goodbye, Captain." Winter said nothing, balling her hand into a fist as they entered the ship.

Her father shoved her into a seat next to the window as he took his seat, the pilot starting the engine. Weiss looked at the window, her body shaking. Her reflection smirked at her, a mischievous glint in its eyes.

"I've missed you, Weiss. I can't wait to talk to you again."

* * *

Yang stared up at the tent ceiling; her whole body felt like it was on fire, sweat drenching her body, her right arm feeling like it was burning. She reached over to it, her hand hitting open air. Her lip trembled and she put her hand over her face, choking back a sob. The doctor had gotten her back into the bed, she couldn't even get to her feet and stop that bastard from taking her.

Why did this happen? She was a good person, wasn't she? All she wanted to do was help people.

She lowered her hand when she heard someone stop next to her bed.

General Ironwood stood next to her, his uniform torn apart. Her eyes widened as she looked at the right side of his body; he… he had robotic prosthetics?

"How are you feeling?" He asked. Yang rubbed the end of her stump.

"Where's Weiss?" she asked. Ironwood sighed.

"She's returning to Atlas with her family. Vale's not safe at the moment."

"She'd be safer here then back with them." Ironwood said nothing.

Ironwood moved his right arm, a whirring noise audible as the mechanical arm moved.

"How did it happen?" He asked. Yang's gaze fell, the end of her stump itching.

"An Ursa." She finally managed. Ironwood nodded. He hesitated before motioning if he could feel it. Yang hesitantly nodded. He grasped it, his mechanical fingers cold against her Weiss' ribbon.

"Prosthetics like mine are rather expensive, Yang, and hard to make." He placed his other hand on her stump, deep in thought as he glanced at her remaining arm. "I will try and see what I can do for you. I know what it's like to be in your situation." He pulled his hands back, seeming satisfied. "You fought well. Now get some rest; the doctors need to treat that infection." Ironwood left.

Yang rolled onto her side, the fire turning to a numbing cold. Her eyelids felt heavy, her vision blurred with tears. She had fought well. She snorted, unable to shake her head. She had fought so well, she had let all of her friends die. She had let Weiss get taken back to her own hell. She had fought so well she had no idea where her sister or partner were. She felt the tears slide down her face, unable to sob, her body growing colder as her right arm burned.

 _you were right mom, i am weak_

* * *

Blake slumped against the alley wall, clutching her stomach. She pulled her hand from her stomach, grimacing at the blood staining her hand. Fuck, the stitches must have broken again. She sat down, taking her shirt off with a pained gasp. Blood ran from the stab wound, several of her stitches undone. She rummaged through the first aid kit she had stolen, rolling her eyes when she found an aura booster. Of course she'd find it now. She set it aside and grabbed her shirt, biting down on it as she ripped the remaining stitches free.

She jabbed the needle into her stomach, grimacing in pain as she pushed the medicine in. She yanked it free and tossed it aside, gnashing her teeth together as she saw a purple glow around her body, and felt the flesh painfully knit itself together, a pink scar being left on her belly. She slid her shirt back on, leaning against the wall, her stomach aching. Her ears twitched as she heard another evacuation shuttle fly overhead.

Adam would know to look for her in the safe zone; one of his agents was no doubt there looking for her. She rested her hand against the stolen pistol on her thigh, the feel of it comforting. He wasn't going to find her. She wouldn't go back to that hell.

With a sigh she stood up, clutching her stomach as she started to walk. She just had to stay ahead of him.

* * *

Ruby watched her sister as Yang stared down at her sheets. Yang's voice was monotone, almost emotionless as she spoke.

"Weiss' father… he took her. I couldn't stop him, Ruby. She's going back to Atlas." Ruby's heart dropped, the image of Weiss' scar covered arms flashing through her mind. She swallowed.

"Why? Why would he come now?" She asked.

"Before the Tower fell, all that people could see was Atlas' robots attacking people and Grimm destroying everything. No one outside of Vale knows the truth. Everyone's scared and we don't know who to trust. Weiss' father took her back to that hell he calls a home because he thinks she'll be safer in Atlas." She snorted. Ruby rubbed her arm, her heart sinking further.

"And Blake?" Yang was quiet for a moment.

"She's dead." Ruby stared at her sister in disbelief.

"Blake… Blake can't be…" She frowned. "How are you sure, she could be-"

"She wasn't at the safe zone, and no one found her at Beacon. She's gone." Ruby shook her head. Blake couldn't be dead, she wouldn't accept it.

"S-She could be-!"

"She's dead, Ruby!" Yang screamed. Ruby shrunk back; Yang was snarling at her, her chest heaving. "She's dead! Just like Penny! Just like Jaune! They're all dead! This isn't one of your stupid fairy tales where everything comes out okay! Sometimes horrible things just happen, Ruby! And there is nothing we can do to stop it!" Tears ran down Yang's face as she shoved a finger at her bandaged stump. "Do you see this, Ruby? This is what the real world looks like! You try and you try and your try, and you know what you get back? Huh! Do you?! You get fucked over by a giant demon bear because that's how this fucking hellhole works, Ruby!"

"Yang, I…" Ruby looked down at her feet. Yang turned away, holding the end of her stump, her back to Ruby.

"Just leave me alone," Yang said.

Ruby held out her hand, opening and closing her mouth before nodding. She went to the door, opening it. She looked back at her sister, biting her lip before saying

"I love you." Yang said nothing, and Ruby closed the door. She wrapped her arms around her body as she stood in the hospital hallway, nurses bustling past her.

Her head jerked up as she heard Yang scream and then the sound of a vase shattering. Ruby reached for the door, hesitating when she heard Yang start sobbing. Ruby pulled her arm back, letting it rest at her side as she left.

* * *

The bandaging over her face was itchy, the beeping from her monitor annoying her as she lay in bed. Pyrrha's body was sore, every part of her body aching, the pain medication barely doing anything to numb her pain. She stared at the empty chair against the wall, her fingers twitching as her mind wandered.

Her eyes opened, an unfamiliar white ceiling staring back at her. She blinked, half of her vision obscured by darkness. She raised her hand, feeling a bandage covering the side of her face. She hissed in pain as she ran her hand over the gash on her face.

"Finally awake?" A voice asked. Pyrrha turned her head; a woman was sitting in the chair by her bedside. She was middle aged, her blonde hair streaked with gray and pulled into a bun. She had an eyepatch, her other eye a familiar shade of blue. Large claw marks scarred her pale face. The woman uncrossed her arms, and stood up. She wore blue jeans and a soft yellow sweater, bits of armor adorning her body. "Pyrrha Nikos, correct?" The woman asked. Pyrrha nodded weakly. "My name is Dijon Arc. I'm Jaune Arc's older sister."

Pyrrha's eyes widened, her fight with the Red Woman replaying in her mind. She sprang forward, and Dijon looked away.

"Jaune! Tell me he's okay! Tell me he's… tell me it was all in my head." Dijon wouldn't look her in the eye as she spoke.

"I've been working in Vale for a while. When my family told me Joa-Jaune had run away from home, I knew he would have gone to Beacon. He had always idolized me and wanted to be a Hunter like me." Dijon balled a hand into a fist, her eyes downcast. "I knew I should have went to Beacon and talked some sense into him. I knew letting him stay there was a risk." Dijon looked up, finally meeting her gaze. Tears were in her eye. "Did my brother die for a reason, Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha hiccupped, grabbing a hold of the bedsheets. She nodded her head.

"He… he saved my life." Dijon was silent.

"Then… I'll let my family know he died a hero." Dijon sighed, and wiped the tears away. "Due to the CCT in Vale falling, I haven't been able to send word to my family about what has happened; if Jaune and I are safe." She straightened her sweater out, not looking at Pyrrha. "I'll be taking his remains and Crocea Mors back with me to the Arc estate. I… I wanted to give you some closure. You were his partner."

 _were_

Dijon sighed, and went to the door. Dijon looked back at her for a brief moment, like she wanted to say more, before looking away and opening the door. She closed it behind her as she left.

Pyrrha looked away from the chair as she heard the door open. Ruby stood in the doorway, her brow knitted in concern as stared. Pyrrha shifted in her bed, sitting up.

"Ruby, I…" She didn't know what to say. Ruby approached her bed, not saying anything. She stopped at her bedside before lunging forward, wrapping her arms around her, trembling as she spoke.

"I'm so happy you're okay. I-I'm sorry I-I couldn't-" Pyrrha patted Ruby on the back as she hugged her, closing her eyes.

"Ruby?" Pyrrha felt Ruby nod. "Why am I alive?" Ruby stiffened, and she pulled away from Pyrrha, her silver eyes wide in shock.

"Pyrrha?" Pyrrha looked away, clutching her sheets.

"It was my idea to go after that woman. I was the one who got seriously hurt. Not him." She shook her head before she looked over at Ruby. "It should have been me, Ruby. I should have died instead of him."

"Pyrrha…" Ruby trailed off. Pyrrha let go of her blankets, and raised one of her knees up, resting her arm on it, and resting her chin on her arm. She felt Ruby hug her again, her hair tickling her as Ruby nuzzled against her. "I'm sorry," Ruby said. Pyrrha said nothing as she stared at her bed.

* * *

The winds were sharp and icy as she stood at the edge of the cliff. She raised her hood as the winter winds bit at her face. She shifted in front of the grave, the backpack heavy on her shoulders. She waved at the grave before sighing.

"Hey mom," she began. "A lot has happened since the last time I visited." Her arm fell back to her side. She paused as she struggled to think of how to word it, chewing on her lip as she felt the warm tears start running.

"I don't really know much about our family; Dad said you were an only child and he's never told me about any grandparents. There's so much I don't know about you mom, and I don't know if you would even care about me if you knew how I turned out. But it's so hard not having you here. Beacon was destroyed, mom. Vale was almost destroyed. Penny, and Jaune, the friends I brought with me that one time. They're…" she sniffed, her tears warm against her chilly skin. "They were murdered. And Yang lost her arm to a Grimm and she won't even speak to me anymore, she's too depressed and angry to talk me or dad." She sat down, the snow enveloping her stocking covered legs.

"I lost teachers and school friends, mom. Did that ever happen while you were a Huntress?" The wind blew around her, snowflakes falling all around her. She sniffed again, her tears dripping onto the snow. "Blake is missing, and Weiss got taken back to Atlas by her dad." She hiccupped, wrapping her arms around her body. "I'm such a horrible leader, mom. This is all my fault. I couldn't stop that woman. If I had been faster I could have saved Penny; I could have saved Jaune. I- I could have-"

Ruby started to sob, unable to speak as the cries wracked her body. The wind blew around her, snow falling onto her and chilling her. She sniffled, feeling like someone was hugging her. She lifted her head, and looked at her mother's grave. She got to her feet, wiping at her eyes.

"I won't be able to visit you for a while, mom. I don't know when I'll be back. I'm going to Mistral. I'm going to find out why that woman did this, and I'm going to stop her before she can hurt anyone else." She turned away from the grave and began to walk towards the tree line, the dead black trees menacing. She gave one last look at her mother's grave, and smiled at it sadly. "I love you, mom. I'll try and make you proud."

She walked into the forest, the winds stifled by the trees. She found Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren waiting for her a little into the forest, leaning against a large tree.

"Are you guys sure you want to come with me? Haven's really far away." She asked. They nodded.

"The journey will be perilous, and whether or not we will find the answers we seek is uncertain." Ren said. Nora flashed a smile.

"But we have to give it a shot! And we can't let you head out there all on your own either!" Pyrrha's face was solemn as she started to walk away, her green eyes dead.

"I'm going to stop that woman, Ruby." She said. Ruby glanced at Ren and Nora before chasing after Pyrrha. Ren and Nora took her side as they marched through the snow.


	51. Sanctuary

A lone figure walked through the forest, her blood red cape sticking to her as the rain poured down. Water dripped in front of her face from her hood as she continued forward, mud splashing onto her cloak as she stepped through the puddles. The forest was suffocating, enveloping, and she sighed in relief when it began to clear and she entered a grassy cliffside. That relief dissipated when she heard faint screams, and the unmistakable roar of Grimm. She hurried up a rock jutting over the cliff's edge, staring out over the valley.

A village a few kilometers away was burning, the orange lights bright even from her distance. She grimaced, gripping her holstered scythe. A chill went up her spine as two Nevermore's swooped past her, their screeches ear splittingly loud. She cocked her head to the side; another one was coming.

She pulled her scythe out, the razor sharp blade springing out. She waited a moment before leaping off the rock, free falling, the wind whipping at her cloak and the rain pelting down on her. The Nevermore let out a screech as she landed on its back, jabbing her scythe underneath its wing. She jerked the scythe, causing the Nevermore to cry out in pain. She jerked the scythe again, forcing the Nevermore closer to the ground as they drew closer to the village. She saw people running throughout the village, some trying to fight the Grimm. Some of the Grimm looked up from their meals, glaring up at her, their orange eyes glowing. She scowled, and pulled the trigger.

The Nevermore screamed as its wing flew off, blood mingling with the rain as it came crashing to the ground. She leapt from the Nevermore's back and onto the roof of a building, sliding down its slippery shingles, her scythe turning into a sniper rifle in an instant. She leapt off the building, firing a shot at a wolf chasing after a woman. The wolf's head exploded into a spray of brains, bone, and blood, its body collapsing to the cobblestone street.

She landed with a tumble, and whirled towards a Creep, firing a shot and blowing a hole in its chest as it leapt towards a cowering boy. She heard a growl and leapt out of the way as a Beowolf swung at her with its claws, her scythe springing back into place. It growled at her again as it leapt towards her. She swung her scythe with a sneer, decapitating the wolf in one swift motion.

"Help me!" a voice cried out. Ruby whirled towards the voice, starting to sprint over towards it. An old man was cornered by an Ursa, a Creep peering down at him from the roof top. Ruby sneered and used her semblance to boost her speed before leaping forward. She screamed as she swung her scythe, slicing off the Ursa's head, landing on its back. She back flipped off the Ursa's back, switching to her rifle, and fired at the Creep, reducing its head to a black paste.

She landed with a grunt, hearing the corpses fall to the ground, and the man run off. The ground shook and she heard a rumbling. She turned, and saw stars explode in her vision as a fist slammed into her face, throwing her back and into a wall. She groaned, and struggled to her feet. A Beringel was glaring at her, its body covered in plates of bone armor. It stood up, pounding its chest, roaring at her. She scowled back at it, twirling her scythe and getting into the stance her uncle had taught her.

The Beringel lunged at her with a roar, and Ruby somersaulted out of the way, its fist crashing into the wall. She yelled, spinning on her heels, and swinging her scythe. The scythe stabbed into its side, embedding itself into its armor. She yelled, yanking on her scythe and ripping off the plate. The Beringel roared, grabbing a hold of her scythe, and throwing it, and her, off to the side.

Ruby skidded to a halt, gritting her teeth, and turning her scythe to a rifle. The Beringel turned towards her, black blood running down its side and dripping onto the street. It roared at her again and began to lumber towards her. Her eyes darted towards the nearby bell tower, and began to run towards it, firing at the Beringel. It threw up one of its arms to block her shots, the armor cracking.

She sprinted through the entrance, the Beringel crashing through. It roared at her as she ran up the stairs, firing at it as she climbed the stairs. It leapt onto the staircase, climbing it, the metal twisting underneath its grip. She climbed the steps two at a time, firing down at the beast as it gained ground. She reached the top, the clock's gears ticking and grinding around her. She scowled, no way out, and switched her rifle to her scythe.

The Beringel leapt over the railing, and landed, shaking the floor. Ruby stared it down, her grip on her scythe tightening. It lunged at her, and Ruby jumped to the side. A choked gasp came from her as the Beringel grabbed her cape as it crashed through the clock face. A strangled yell escape her lips as she began to plummet towards the ground, swirling her scythe, aiming the blade at the beast.

The Beringel landed in the cobblestone street, cracks appearing in the street and in its armor. It let out a weak growl as Ruby landed on top of it, stabbing her scythe into its chest. She dug the blade deeper into its chest, eliciting another growl, as she aimed at its head. She pulled the trigger, and with a boom the Beringel's head disintegrated, blood pooling from its neck. Ruby sighed, yanking out her scythe and stepping off its corpse as it started to smoke. She leaned against her scythe, catching her breath, the rain soaking through her clothes and chilling her.

There was a buzzing in her pocket, and she pulled out her scroll; it was a call from her team. She hit the answer key.

"Ruby?! Are you there? We've been trying to call you!" She stared down an alley, watching the buildings crumble as the flames licked them.

"I'm here," she said.

"Where are you? Are you still near the camp?" Her lip twitched as a Beowolf ripped the arm off a dead boy and began to gnaw on it.

"I'm in a nearby village," she said.

"Is it safe?" A Nevermore screeched as it flew overhead.

"Yeah," she said. There was silence on the other line. "Don't worry about me guys, I'll be back before morning."

"Are you sure?" She chortled, shaking her head.

"Yeah. See you in the morning." She hung up and tucked her scroll away. She took a deep breath, and charged into the alley.

* * *

 _If I have harmed any one in any way, either knowingly or unknowingly through my own confusions, I ask their forgiveness._

The monks and nuns around her chanted in Old Atlesian, reciting prayer. She recited it with them, struggling with some of the words. She kept her eyes closed and her head bowed, her hands clasped together as she sat. Incense wafted through the air, the scent comforting.

There was a gentle ringing, and she rose up, keeping her eyes closed and her head bowed. She could hear the others standing up with her.

They continued their prayers, reciting the next verses. These ones she had an easier time remembering.

A gong was struck quietly, the noise signaling the end of their prayer session. Weiss opened her eyes, and sat back down, resting her hands on her knees. The monks and nuns around her wore thick robes that were an azure that faded to a cerulean. Sapphires hung from their throats. The inside of the temple was a rainbow of colors, crystals hanging from the ceiling and walls. Each color represented one of the forms of Dust; to remind them of where they all came from. The back wall, where the gong and bells rested, was black. And to where they all return.

The head monk stood with the gong and bells. He folded his hands together and bowed his head. Weiss and the others followed suit. He spoke in Common for the closing prayer.

"I am but a cog in the Great Wheel of Dust's universe. A part of Dust's unending love." The monk said. Weiss and the other monks repeated the prayer. "Made from Dust's own body, I strive to be kind, and to love every living thing. To protect those who cannot protect themselves." She repeated the prayer. "We thank Dust for giving us Choice. For giving us the ability to attain Knowledge. For giving us the capacity to Create, like them. And lament our ability to Destroy." She repeated the prayer. "We endeavor to walk in Dust's light every day of our lives, to live a life of compassion and face death with a heart full of peace."

Weiss' voice broke as she repeated the prayer.

The monks and nuns stood up and began to leave. Weiss stayed seated for a moment longer before she stood up and left.

It was snowing outside of the temple. Weiss picked up her shoes and hastily put them on, walking towards the gate. The white exterior of the temple was almost invisible against the snow. She shivered, her breath a silver mist in the air. The harsh wind cut through her thin dress, and bit into her skin. Snowflakes rested on her hair and against her face as she hurried to the long white car waiting for her. She opened the door and got in, the leather seats warm and welcoming after the walk through the snow. The chauffer looked back at her.

"Everything okay, Lady Schnee?" Weiss's gaze fell, and she turned towards the window. She rubbed her wrist, feeling the fresh bandages hidden by her sleeves. She closed her eyes and rested her head on the window.

"I'll be fine. Take me home, please." There was a pause.

"As you wish, Lady Schnee." The car began to move, and Weiss sighed, rubbing her wrists.

* * *

A sigh escaped her lips as she stood at the end of the dock. The sun was setting, the ocean waves golden in color. It was warm, summer. She inhaled; the scent of sea salt was always comforting and made her think of home. Her hand ran up her jacket's left sleeve, resting it on the white blue ribbon tied around her arm. She smiled sadly, and let her arm fall.

The past several months had been hard, being on the run from the White Fang. Her hand brushed against the katana at her waist, and the pistol holstered against her thigh. Gambol Shroud had served her well, and she missed the familiar feel of it against her back, but there was no safe way to get back to Beacon and retrieve it.

She closed her eyes, her fist clenching, her nails digging into her palms.

The blood spewing into the air as his blade cut through. The arm as it flew in the air. The thud when they collapsed in front of Adam.

She scowled as she opened her eyes. She couldn't go back. All she could do now was what she did best.

Run away.

* * *

Thud!

The axe shook her arm as she embedded it into the log. She wretched it free, her breath coming out in silver puffs.

Thud!

It was unusually cold this winter, and most of the lumber in Patch was going to Vale to help with the repairs. Her father didn't want to buy any of the spare firewood in Patch, the freezing people back in Vale needed it more.

Thud!

She grimaced. Or a sharper axe, apparently.

Thud!

The log split, and she swiped the two logs into the basket next to the tree stump. She grabbed another log and set it onto the stump.

Thud!

At least she only had to worry about providing enough wood for herself and her father.

 _because you're unlovable_

Thud!

She grit her teeth.

 _ruby left you_

Thud!

 _she left you just like raven did_

Thud!

 _just like summer did_

Thud!

She snarled, her hair blazing around her, fire in her veins. The log had split, and she hurriedly put a new one in place. Her hand was shaking as she picked up the axe again.

Thud!

 _you're worthless_

Thud! The log split.

 _you should have died back at beacon_

Thud! The next log split.

 _you're nothing_

She screamed, slamming the axe into the log. The log split in two, the axe blade shattering, the shards flying off into the snow. She stood quivering in the snow, the axe handle in her grip splintering. Something warm began to run down her cheeks, dripping onto her jacket. She screamed and hurled the axe handle into the snow covered forest.


	52. The Next Step

**I kinda feel I skimped out on descriptions and I feel that's a weak point so I tried including that more in this chapter.**

The hallways of Salem's fortress were foreboding. The walls were black marble, the floor black stone, accentuated by its violet rugs. Tall, bone white candles burned in indents on the walls, barely lighting the hallway. Large, plush, violet tapestries were hung on the walls; words from a language Emerald didn't recognize decorating the tapestries.

Emerald played with her hands as she followed Cinder, glancing out the large glass window that they passed. The shattered moon looked back at her, bathing her in a white light. The outside of the fortress was a wasteland; a rocky terrain of crimson stone and blood red skies. Large Dust crystals were jutting out of the ground, growing over and consuming the stone buildings dotting the landscape. Large pools of a tar like goo dotted the ground, Grimm gathering around them to drink.

Emerald swallowed, lowering her hand's to her sides as they approached the large oak door. Two large Grimm stood on either side of the door. They were tall, their heads at level with the top of the door. Their heads were completely smooth and bone white, no facial features outside of their mouths, which lacked lips, their teeth and gums exposed. Their skin was ink black, most of their body being covered in bone armor. They held large black spears in their hands, purple Dust crystals making up the spear heads. Mercury had given them the affectionate nickname of Domehead.

Emerald heard them clicking, lowering their heads and staring at her with their eyeless faces as Cinder threw open the wooden door and entered the room. Large purple Dust crystals were growing from the floor, tall candles flickering on top of them, their wax running down the crystals. Moonlight filtered into the room from the large windows taking up the room. A table carved from purple Dust sat in the center of the room, white petrified wood chairs were situated next to the table. A chandelier of petrified wood hung above the table, the ends glowing purple.

Cinder went to her seat at the end of the table, and Emerald stood behind her, resting her hands behind her back. She glanced over at the other members of the table.

A woman with tan skin and short black hair streaked with gray sat across from Cinder. She wore a gray and yellow suit, and was reading something on her scroll. Next to her was an old woman in a black robe, her gray hair stringy and thin. Her pale skeletal fingers were wrapped around a pendant of Salem' Eye. Her eyes were closed as she rocked back and forth in her seat, mouthing a prayer. Next to her sat a giant of a woman. She was sleeping, her arms crossed. Emerald could see a multitude of scars on her arms, barely hidden by her green jacket. Her skin was olive, and her hair short and black.

Emerald glanced over at the people on their side of the table. A woman with pale skin and long dark braided hair sat at the end of the table. She wore a white outfit, her shirt open, scars crisscrossing over her chest. She was twitching in her seat as she messily tore into a chicken leg, grease running down her hands and chin. Emerald saw her look over at her and looked away; that one scared her the most. She looked over at the person next to Cinder, noting as he started into his flask; Qrow Branwen.

The woman across from Cinder pocketed her scroll, lifting a hand up to her ear. She closed her eyes for a moment before speaking.

"Do you hear that?" she asked. None of the others answered her. She opened her eyes and smirked at Cinder. "It's the sound of silence. I have half a mind to go and thank the child that bested you." Emerald heard a belch and looked over at the end of the table. The woman was gnawing on the chicken bone, licking the grease off of it. She tossed the chicken bone aside and turned in her seat to look at Cinder. She smiled, her yellow eyes cold.

"What you need to do, my sweet Cinder, is go out and find her and bring her here. Use those precious Maiden powers of yours to make her suffer and when she's begging for the torment to end, you pluck out her eye." The woman made a 'popping' sound as she motioned at her eye. "Make the little brat scream and thrash against her chains as you squish it in front of her, and may haps let the tentacle Grimm have a go at her before you return to pluck out her other eye, and leave her to rot, you being the last thing she sees before the Grimm make a feast of her entrails." The woman smiled at Cinder sweetly, and Emerald noted Qrow tighten his grip on his flask before taking a long swig from it.

Cinder scowled at the woman as she smiled at her. Cinder opened her mouth to speak, and a raspy gasp came out. The woman across from Cinder snorted, shaking her head.

"How pathetic," she said.

The door swung open, and everyone sprang from their chairs, standing up straight. Emerald swallowed as She passed by.

Salem was a tall women, her skin a deathly shade of white, and her tar black veins crisscrossing against her face and hands. A black gem rested on her forehead, her ivory white hair pulled back into a complex style, her pupils burning red, and her sclera ink black. Her midnight black dress obscured most of her body, a long dark train billowed from her shoulders; her emblem stitched in scarlet lace in the center. The room grew colder and darker as Salem went to her seat at the head of the table. She took her seat, and the members of her coven did the same. Emerald remained standing off to Cinder's side, trying to hide herself behind Cinder's chair. Her soul felt like ice whenever Salem would look at her.

"Doctor Watts," Salem said. The woman across from Cinder, Watts, looked over at Salem. Salem cocked an eyebrow at her. "Do you find such malignance necessary?" Watts bowed her head.

"My apologies, my Goddess. I am just not one who is accepting of failure."

"Young Cinder has accomplished her goal before any of you. She not only found the Fall Maiden, but was the first of you to become one. She destroyed Vale's tower, and has pitted the Four Kingdoms against each other." Salem smiled at Cinder, and Emerald felt a chill down her spine at the sight. "But most importantly of all, she killed Ozpin." Salem's smile fell, and she turned her gaze back to Watts. "So I must ask you, Doctor, what failure do you refer to?"

Watts fidgeted in her seat before answering.

"That girl with the Silver Eyes. Summer Rose's daughter." The old woman pointed a crooked finger at Qrow as the large woman opened her eyes.

"You told us that Summer was the last of those unholy beasts, Qrow!" The old woman said.

"And how was a novice Silver Eyed Warrior able to best one of us? Summer was experienced, and she still fell." The large woman said, her voice a rumble.

"Exactly. Even without your new found powers, you should have killed that child effortlessly." Watts added.

Salem held up her hand, and they all drew quiet.

"You all know the powers of the Silver Eyes and the effect it has on my kind. Cinder is no longer entirely human; a Scarab is growing inside of her. It is only logical that she would have a weakness to this child, no matter her skill level." Salem turned, and narrowed her eyes at Qrow. "As for you, Qrow. Do you have an answer for Mother Sable? You told all of us that Summer was the last of her kind." Salem leaned forward, the room growing darker. "You did not lie to us, did you?"

They all turned to stare at Qrow. His eyes were closed and he calmly closed the lid of his flask. He crossed his arms.

"When I joined you lot, I didn't exactly stay on good terms with my old team. I cut contact with them, and I only speak to my sister on occasion just because she's family. I had no idea Summer had a kid; she never really seemed interested in any of that stuff when we were together." Qrow opened his eyes, staring at Salem. "And don't forget that I was there when we killed Summer. I am loyal to you, and you alone, my Goddess."

Salem leaned back in her seat, eyeing Qrow for a moment before nodding.

"In that case, Qrow, I will pardon your failure." Qrow nodded back at her. Salem rested her hands on the table, looking at all of them.

"Cinder has ignited the flame that will allow us to change this world. But," Salem motioned with her hand at Cinder; at the black mask covering half of her face, and the scars running across the rest, at the long empty right sleeve. "Young Cinder will remain here, with me. Your rehabilitation is not yet complete." Cinder scowled, and looked away.

"Doctor Watts." Watts looked over at Salem. "You will be taking Cinder's place in meeting with-" Salem's eyes darted over to Qrow for a brief moment "our informant in Mistral." Watts nodded.

"Understood, ma'am," she said.

"Mother Sable. You have done well in spreading the Faith in Mistral. I believe it is time to spread the good word to Atlas." Sable bowed her head, her pendent clasped in her hands.

"Your will is my gospel, my Goddess." Sable said.

Qrow kept his eyes on the table as Salem looked at him.

"Qrow, you will return to your hunt for the Spring Maiden." Qrow grunted in acknowledgement.

"Hazel, Adam Taurus has informed me that he has thought of a way to get Sienna Khan and her faction under our control. I want you to meet up with him, and help oversee this."

The giant woman, Hazel, nodded her head.

"As you wish," she said.

The woman at the end of the table smiled, licking her lips as Salem turned to her.

"Tyrian, I want you to find this child of Summer." Tyrian's smile grew. "You're allowed to have as much fun as you want with her, just try to keep her body somewhat intact."

"Thank you, my Goddess," Tyrian said giddily.

Salem leaned back in her chair, smiling.

"See to it that Haven's fall is as smooth's as Beacon's. You are dismissed."

They stood from their chairs, and Emerald kept close to Cinder as they left the room, not looking at the others or at the Domeheads as she left.

* * *

His eyes fluttered open, and he yawned as he sat up. He scratched at his back as he stumbled to his feet, going to his dresser and getting dressed. He opened the door to his room, and took a deep breath as he looked at the barn he slept in. He smiled and descended the stairs; the barn was dark but he didn't need to see to know where he was going.

He went to the barn door, and with a grunt, tossed it open. He shielded his eyes as dawn's light washed over him, illuminating the dark barn.

His aunt's farm was small, but they had never gone hungry. Being so close to Mistral City probably helped. He stretched his arms, there was a lot to do; fall was fast approaching and the crops needing tending.

He went to the well pump, and set a bucket next to it. He started to pump the water, his throat parched and his face dirty. Water sloshed from the rim of bucket as he finished pumping. He took his gloves off and cupped his hands in the cool water, splashing it against his face. He shook his head, shivering as the icy water ran down his neck. He peered into the bucket, cupping his hands.

He frowned, and blinked. Was he going crazy or did his reflection look different, just for a split second? He peered closer at the water.

"Hello, Oscar!" an old voice said. Oscar screamed and leapt back, knocking the water over.

* * *

The smithy was hot and stuff as Nora played a game on her scroll. She could hear the blacksmith grunting in the back of the smithy. She wrinkled her nose as she lost, again, and pocketed her scroll with a groan of annoyance.

Ruby was inspecting the various weapons for sale, smiling happily. Ren was reading on his scroll next to her. Nora hesitated before looking over at Pyrrha.

Pyrrha was leaning against the wall, her eyes glued to the floor. Her lime green eyes looked so cold and unfriendly now, dark bags underneath her eyes, and that long scar covering most of her face. Nora's heart fell as she looked at Pyrrha's hair, at how much it looked like Jaune's. Her armor was nicked and cracked in several places; her clothes ripped, her arms and legs littered in fresh scars. Her red sash was wrapped around her neck like a scarf, the ends of it tattered and ripped. Pyrrha looked up at the sound of footsteps and Nora looked over at the counter.

The blacksmith opened the door, and strode in, setting the weapon down on the counter with a smile.

"That was some fine metal you brought in, almost a shame to melt that shield and circlet down. Used only white steel, just like you asked." Pyrrha went over to the counter, picking up the weapon. It was white and gold, and Nora cocked her head to the side as she looked at it. Pyrrha pressed something and the weapon extended, taking the form of a large double headed spear. She heard Ruby gasp in excitement at the sight. Pyrrha inspected the weapon as the blacksmith spoke. "Your little friend over there is quiet the genius designing that entire thing. I even managed to include that second form that she had doodled." Pyrrha reached up, running a finger up the spear blade. She didn't even flinch as the blade cut through her glove, blood trickling down her finger.

Pyrrha pulled her finger back, watching the blood soaking into her glove. She nodded as she collapsed the weapon. She looked back at the blacksmith as he looked at her in shock.

"How much do you want?" she asked. The blacksmith shook his head.

"You four are going after that Geist that's been haunting our cemetery. That's enough payment for me." The blacksmith forced a smile as Pyrrha holstered the spear. "Though I have to ask, all great Hunters give their weapons a name. What are you gonna name that one?" Pyrrha thought for a moment before answering.

"Échthra," Pyrrha said. The blacksmith nodded as Pyrrha went to the exit, grabbing her backpack off the ground as she threw the door open. Ruby waved and shouted a 'thanks!' as she followed after Pyrrha. She heard Ren sigh as he took the spot behind her as they left the smithy.

* * *

Pyrrha leaned against a tree, her arms crossed while Ren and Nora talked about something or another. She peaked around the tree, and gaze out at the graveyard. It was situated on a hill, a multitude of thin, rectangular grave markers covering near every inch of the hill. She grasped her spear as she felt a rumble, and heard Ren and Nora grow quiet. She heard a crack of thunder, and a red and black blur as Ruby zipped through the graves, firing her sniper rifle at the Geist as it chased her.

A towering body built of dirt and graves lumbered after her, swinging its giant arms, dust and stones being thrown into the air as it smashed gravestones. A white bone like face sat in the center of the body, orange eyes glowing.

Pyrrha dashed forward, hopping over a fallen tree and running up the hill, Échthra popping out. She smiled as she ran; time to feel alive again. She heard Ren and Nora running behind her. She heard a whistling as several pink grenades shot past her, slamming into the back of the Geist. A ghostly groan came from the Geist as the explosions rocked its body. It turned toward them, Ruby sprinting away, weaving in and out of the gravestones.

Ren dashed past her, firing at the Geist's face with his submachine guns. The Geist raised one of its arms, groaning as the bullets tore into the stone. The Geist turned to them, and swung its giant arm down. Ren leapt onto the arm as it came crashing down, dirt and stones flying into the air. He ran up the arm as it lifted it back up, firing at the Geist's face before jumping at it face with a yell. Spark flew from his blade as he embedded it in the stone, dangling from it and firing at its face. The Geist howled in pain and swung its arm. Ren smirked and back flipped off, the giant stone fist slamming into the face a second later.

The Geist came crashing to the ground and Pyrrha lunged towards its body with a yell, swinging her spear down. The Geist groaned, and Pyrrha grasped her spear as she felt the Geist get to its feet. She gnashed her teeth together as she dangled in the air. She hoisted herself up, standing on her spear before leaping up, grabbing a hold of the stone, and reaching out to her spear with her semblance. Her spear zipped into her hand and she began to climb toward its face. She saw the orange eyes look down at her and she smirked at it.

"Pyrrha!" Her head snapped back as she looked over at Ruby, her eyes shooting wide as its fist came crashing into her. She screamed, feeling her leg break as it slammed against the stone. She lost her grip on the Geist and screamed as she fell, hitting the ground, the wind getting knocked out of her. She groaned in pain, and gnashed her teeth together as she looked at the bone sticking out of her leg. She felt the ground rumble as the Geist lumbered over to her team mates. She bit the staff of her spear, and howled as she snapped the bone back into place, blood drenching her armor and leggings. Her aura kicked on, and she ground her teeth against the metal as her leg was painfully healed. Her aura flickered as it went off once more and Pyrrha got to her feet, running back to the fight.

The Geist slammed its fist into the ground, Ren, Nora, and Ruby leaping out of the way. Ruby's hands were a blur as she switched out the magazine in her rifle. Ruby took aim and fired at the Geist's arm, ice encasing it and freezing it into place.

Nora ran to the arm, and swung her hammer, the ice shattering and the arm going flying. The Geist howled in pain, before a large clawed arm sprang from its stone body.

Pyrrha hurled her spear at the arm, smiling as it cut through it, black blood gushing out as its arm came crashing down. She caught her spear as she brought it back to her side. The Geist turned, staring at her. She charged forward with a yell, her team mates charging its back.

She hurled her spear at its face, enjoying its scream of pain at it hit the Geist's mouth, blood gushing down its body and staining the graves. Ren fired at the Geist's exposed arm, blood dripping down as his bullets ripped its arm apart. Ruby screamed as she swung her scythe, a grating screech as Crescent Rose carved through the rock, its remaining arm crumbling to the ground. Nora laughed as she swung her hammer, breaking the stone leg at its knee.

The Geist fell to the ground, blood oozing from wounds. The stone body shook, her spear falling from place as the Geist's true form rose up from the stone carcass; a skeletal ghost. Pyrrha yanked her spear to her side as the Geist started to flee, and yelled as she hurled her spear. The Geist spun around, shrieking as her spear pierced its face, its body falling to the ground as its head went flying.

Pyrrha smirked, as she heard Nora let out a cheer, and Ren a sigh of relief. She pulled her spear back to her side, inspecting the nicks in the spear tip and the blood coating it. She nodded in satisfaction and holstered her weapon while Ruby went to inspect the ghostly corpse. Ruby poked at the corpse with her scythe for a moment before holstering her scythe and looking back at them. She threw a hand up as she smiled.

"Great job, team!"

* * *

Ruby knocked on the door to the church, and stepped back, resting her hands behind her back. The church door was gray wood, one half of the church built from black stone, the other half from white stone. The door opened and the priest who had hired them poked his head out, smiling. His robes were gray, his belt white, and his double cross black.

"You have succeeded? That Geist is dead?" Ruby nodded, and smiled.

"Yep!" The priest rubbed his thumb against his cross, smiling.

"Thank the Brothers. That thing had been terrorizing this town for months. The mayor was starting to get worried we would have to abandon this town and find a new home."

"Well, why not just move to Mistral? Isn't it safer in the cities anyway?" The priest chuckled.

"It's not quite that simple, my child. Mistral City is no doubt still dealing with a large influx of Valian refugees; a whole town's worth of poor villagers would only add to that chaos." The priest went over to the lily bush next to the church, cradling a flower in his hand. "On top of that, Anima is a large continent, there would be no safe way for all of us to leave. Many of us would die on the trip there, be it from Grimm, Raiders, or the Demon that stalks the wilderness near Mistral City."

Ruby heard Ren inhale sharply and glanced back at him. Nora was biting her lip, grasping Ren's hand, running her thumb over his hand. He had a faraway look in his eyes, his hand trembling. A pink glow surrounded him for a moment, and he exhaled, and closed his eyes, his trembling stopping. Ruby cocked an eyebrow at them before looking back at the priest.

The priest reached into his robe, and pulled out a heavy pouch. He handed it to Ruby, and she opened it up, whistling at the stacks upon stack of Lien cards.

"I do wish I could pay you more, you have no idea how much it means to this village to see that dreaded beast killed."

"That amount is more than sufficient," Ren said. Ruby pulled her backpack off and squished the bag of money into her pack.

"Are you children sure you do not wish to stay here? You have done this town a great service, and we could use a group of Hunter's like you."

"No." Pyrrha's voice was cold, and Ruby looked back at her as she slung her pack back on. Pyrrha crossed her arms. "We have a mission, and we need to get to Mistral City. No matter the cost." The priest rubbed his chin.

"I see. Then I pray to the Brothers that you will accomplish you goal."

"The next village has an airship, doesn't it?" Ren asked. The priest shook his head.

"We haven't been in contact with Shion village for quite some time. Our scroll signals were rather weak out here, even before the fall of Vale's CCT. I cannot say for certainty whether Shion still has their airship, or if it is still functional."

"Only one way to find out!" Nora said cheerily. Ruby smiled and waved at the priest as her team mates left. They walked through the village, sidestepping people as they went about their chores.

"Alright Team RNPR let's head out!" Ruby threw a fist into the air as they walked. "We have our food?" she asked.

"We do," Ren said.

"Map?" Ren nodded, holding up a thick piece of parchment. "Water?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Nora said.

"Ammo?" Pyrrha nodded. Nora swung her arms in a carefree manner as they exited the village, the long dirt road ahead of them.

"Thank you Schnee Dust Company! Where would we be without you?" Nora said.

Ruby's gaze fell, and she sighed. Weiss' scar covered arms flashed through her mind, the tears running down her face, how shaky her voice had been. Ruby's shoulder's sagged, her pack a heavy weight.

 _weiss… i hope you're safe_

* * *

She could hear the blizzard gusting against her window as she laid in bed. Her body felt sticky and gross, her hair slick and oily. She couldn't remember the last time she had bathed. Her head was pounding, her throat dry. Her stomach growled, and her eyes darted over to the uneaten breakfast on her nightstand. She had last eaten… two days ago?

She heard Mirror tapping against the mirror in her room, her voice sing song like as she called to her. She tightened her grip on the snake plush she was cuddling, pressing it against her chest. Her wrists ached; she hoped Klein wouldn't notice the blood stains in her pajama sleeves. There was a knocking at her door and she turned in her bed, looking at the door.

"Yes?" Her voice was quiet, and hoarse. The door creaked open and a short, balding man in a blue and black suit entered her room.

"Lady Schnee, your father would like to speak to you." Weiss sighed, pulling her plush closer to her.

"Okay. I'll be out in a minute." Klein nodded his head, and left the room. The door clicked shut as he closed it behind him. Weiss closed her eyes and sighed again.

 **And that's it! V4 in Scars is gonna be rather long as I'm adding 9 original chapters to it (3 for Yang, 2 for Weiss, 1 for Ruby, 1 for Blake, 1 for Winter, and 1 for Summer).**


	53. Remembrance

**Sorry this one is late, the Windows 10 update from hell messed my computer up, and I need to get a new one. This. Was written on mobile so please excuse any typos.**

The windows rattled as the blizzard howled outside. Weiss kept her head down as she made her way through the mansion. Butlers and maids bustled past her, some pausing to look at her as she passed them. She rubbed her wrists, trying to keep from looking at them.

She climbed down the stairs, passing the Arma Gigas statues. She glanced over at the King Taijitu statue as she went through the next room. Why did her father need so many statues of Grimm in the house?

She kept walking, hearing the house creak as the wind and snow gusted. She swallowed, her stomach in knots as she entered the long hallway. She grabbed her wrist, anxiety eating at her stomach; this was never a good place to be.

"Good morning, Weiss." Weiss stopped, and looked back, cocking her head to the side in confusion.

Her younger twin sister stood behind her; her hair had been cropped short and she was wearing pants and a vest. Her voice seemed deeper than it had been when she had left, and her chest seemed….flatter?

"Whitley? Is that you?" Weiss asked. Whitley nodded, smiling.

"Indeed, dear sister." Weiss turned around, facing her, her arms crossed.

"You seem….different." Whitley cocked her head to the side.

"Oh? In what way?" Weiss squinted a little as she looked her sister over. Why would her voice be….oh. Oh.

"Is your name still Whitley?" Weiss asked. Whitley's smile grew.

"I see you haven't become any less observant while you were away, sister." Whitley started to pace. "I may not care for the body I was born in, but I do believe this name suit's me well enough." Her brother stopped pacing, and looked over at her. "Given the way you asked that, I assume this isn't an issue with you?" Weiss shook her head. "Excellent."

"Did you need something, Whitley?" Weiss asked. Whitley shook his head.

"Not really. I just haven't seen you at all since you got back two months ago. I know not to disturb you while you're in your room, and when you're not in there you're out at that Dust temple." Whitley rubbed his chin. "I don't remember you being this religious before, Weiss. Why the sudden change?" Weiss looked away, a hand going to her wrist.

"I just… it makes me feel a bit better." Whitley shrugged.

"I suppose it's to be expected given the trauma you endured while over in Vale." She let go of her wrist when she saw Whitley's eyes flicker over to them. He cocked an eyebrow as he looked up at her face. "Did you enjoy the crêpes Klein made? Blueberry has always been your favorite, hasn't it?"

"I… I didn't eat them. I wasn't hungry." She fidgeted as Whitley stared at her for a moment.

"I see," he finally said. He glanced past her, at the door further down the hallway. "I thought I should warn you, I heard Father yelling at someone earlier."

"Him and Mother are already at it?" she asked. Whitley shook his head.

"No, I saw her in the gardens." He chuckled. "She practically lives out there now; she had a small building built. Has heating and everything." He glanced back over at the door. "It sounded like a man this time." He motioned with his hand as he spoke. "He sounded rather upset," he said. Weiss' gaze fell; she could already feel the sting of his hand against her face.

"I'll be fine," Weiss said.

"I know you will be," Whitley said. Weiss looked up at him. He smiled reassuringly. "You're stronger then you think, Weiss." Whitley turned, and began to leave. "Anyway, I have studies to attend to. Good luck with Father." Whitley said. Weiss smiled as she watched him leave.

"Thank you." She said.

* * *

Snow fell onto her head as she stood up from the grave. Ruby wrapped her cloak around herself, her breath a mist in the air.

"Ruby," several voice behind her said. She turned from the grave slowly, the cold seeping into her. She smiled; Penny, Jaune, and her mother stood in front of her, smiling at her. She threw her arms out, running toward them, awaiting their sweet embrace. They held their arms open, smiling at her.

Ruby screamed as the ground gave way beneath her, snow and stone falling around her as she flailed in the air. She heard Jaune and Penny's voice as she fell in the darkness, their screams echoing all around her. She hit the ground, groaning in pain. She got up, rubbing her stomach, her head spinning from the fall. She inhaled sharply; Beacon lay in front of her, the campus in flames, Grimm soaring through the skies, Jaune and Penny's screams filling the air.

She looked around, breathing heavy, her knees weak. Yang stood across from her, her right arm missing, a bloody stub all that remained. Yang pointed a finger at Ruby, pus drooling from her mouth as she spoke.

"You left me," Yang's voice was joined by several other voices. Blake materialized next to Yang, pointing at her.

"You never looked for me," Blake accused. Jaune appeared next to Blake, his body a burnt corpse.

"You weren't fast enough." Penny appeared next to him, holding her severed head, blood gushing from her missing leg and the hole in her stomach.

"I thought you loved me? Why didn't you save me?" Ruby felt tears drip down, her voice gone as she tried to cry out. Weiss appeared next to Penny, a noose around her neck, her arms bloody, every inch of her flesh covered in gaping slashes.

"This is all your fault," Weiss said. They all pointed at her, chanting, their voices growing louder and louder. Ruby fell to her knees, clasping her hands over her ears, squeezing her eyes shut.

She looked up, her friends all fusing together in front of her, her mother materializing from them. Summer blinked at her, her silver eyes shining bright in the darkness. Summer frowned, and sneered at her.

"I never wanted you," her mother said.

Ruby's eyes snapped open. She sat up, clutching her head. The fire was crackling, the sun beginning to break the horizon. She lowered her hand as she saw Ren staring at her, their uncooked breakfast in his hands.

"Nightmares?" Ruby shook her head, forcing a smile as she climbed off her bedroll.

"Nope, I'm doing A-okay!" She forced a laugh as she rolled her bedroll up. Ren sighed, and looked away from her, going back to cooking their breakfast.

* * *

Pyrrha trailed behind Ruby and Ren as they looked over the map. Nora walked alongside her, humming a tune.

"You're sure we aren't lost?" Ruby asked. Ren shook his head, pointing at a point on the map.

"I'm positive. My parents grew up in Shion, they talked about it often back home." Ren said. Ruby looked up at Ren.

"Really?" Ruby asked. Ren nodded.

Pyrrha slowed to a halt, Nora stopping and looking back at her. Pyrrha sniffed, a faint smokey smell on the wind.

"Do you smell that?" Pyrrha asked. Nora cocked an eyebrow before sniffing. Her eyes shot open, and she started to run, darting past Ren and Ruby as they poured over the map.

Pyrrha ran after her, hearing Ren and Ruby start running, calling after them in confusion.

The smell of smoke grew stronger and stronger, the skies growing grayer and grayer as they ran. Nora slowed down as snow began to fall around them. Pyrrha stopped, holding her hand out, gray snow drifting onto her hand. She frowned, snow covering her hair and cheeks. She lookked over at Nora, hearing Ren and Ruby as they caught up. Nora looked further down the road. Large stone walls were at the end of the road, thick smoke billowing from behind the walls, the gray snow drifting on the winds.

"Ren... is that..." Ruby asked.

"Yes." Ruby ran past them, shouting over shoulder as she went to the villages entrance.

"Look for survivors!" They ran after her, Pyrrha gagging as the smell of death and burning flesh wafted over her.

Ruby slid to a halt at the village entrance, her hand going to her holstered scythe. Pyrrha inhaled sharply at the sight before them.

The buildings were collapsed and smoldering, mutilated corpses littering the streets, blood staining the gravel roads. Young Nevermores were picking at the stray corpses, cawing at each other. A mass pile of naked corpses was in the center of the village, burning, smoke billowing and the smell nauseating.

"Split up," Ruby said. Pyrrha nodded, and ran toward a building. It was completely destroyed and flames sputtered inside. Pyrrha grimaced, and went to the next building. The roof had caved in but seemed okay otherwise

She kicked the door in, drawing her spear as she went through the ruined door. She heard coughing from the nearby room, and tightened the grip on her spear as she entered.

A Huntsman was pinned to the floor, a part of the cieling crushing him. Blood dribbled down his chin, his breathing labored, a piece of wood impaling his stomach.

Pyrrha rushed to his side, setting her spear aside and grabbing a hold of the part of the cieling, groaning as she started to lift.

"Don't...waste your strength. I'm not... gonna make it." The Huntsman said. Pyrrha looked wt his wounds, and then at him before nodding, lowering the cieling back down. She crouched next to the Huntsman, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"What happened?" She asked. The Huntsmen coughed, blood spurting out. He wiped at his lip, blood drooling down.

"Raiders... a whole tribe of em, led by some woman in a Grimm mask and a red sword." He started to cough, his body shuddering violently. He gasped for air, the blood dripping onto his armor. "After they were done, the Grimm showed up." He pointed at her spear, straining to breath. "I got trapped here when one of those bastards blew the cieling up...I can't feel anything below my chest." Pyrrha's gaze fell as she grabbed her spear, resting the tip over his heart. The Huntsmen nodded. "Do it quick," he said.

She closed her eyes, and thrusted forward. She heard him gasp, feeling his body quiver on her spear. She yanked her spear out, collapsing it. She opened her eyes, sighing as his eyes glazed over. She put her her hand over his eyes, closing them.

Pyrrha stood up, holstering her spear as she left. She searched the nearby buildings, finding nothing but death. She went back to the pile of burning corpses, her teammates showing up a moment later.

"Find anyone?" Ruby asked. Pyrrha shook her head. Ruby looked over at Ren and Nora. Ren had a pink glow around him, his hand trembling, his eyes on the Grimm tracks in the grass. Nora shook her head, looking over at the corpse pile.

"Should... should we bury them? We can't leave them for the Grimm, can we?" Nora asked. Ren shook his head, the pink glow around him growing brighter. He walked past them, his trembling hand going to his chest, clutching his shirt.

"We need to leave. This place isn't safe," he said.

"Ren..." Nora glanced over at the corpses before going after Ren, wrapping an arm around him as they walked. Pyrrha stared at the corpse pile, hearing Ruby leave, following after Ren and Nora.

Pyrrha clenched her hand into a fist, her lip twitching into a snarl, the ashes falling all around her as she watched the flames consume a young blonde boy.

 _fuck this world_

* * *

Weiss hesitated, her father's voice loud even through the door.

"-I'm not talking about the good of my company, I'm talking about the good of all of Atlas!" Her father yelled. Weiss swallowed, and opened the door, quietly slipping into the room.

General Ironwood sat across from her father. Ironwood scowled.

"That's a load of shit and you know it," he said. Her father's eyebrows shot up, his lip twitching into a snarl.

"I beg you're pardon?!"

"After the failure of the machines your company made, and Mistral and Vacuo breathing down my neck, I cannot afford to use the AK-200. Starting next month, the SDC will no longer be the sole funder of the Atlesian military."

"The people of Atlas will never fund the military. You think they will let the Council tax them like that?" Ironwood chuckled darkly.

"As Headmaster of Atlas Academy, and the General of the Atlesian military, the Council has given me emergency powers; no one else can handle the threat from Mistral and Vacuo. If the rich want to complain, my mailbox will be open." Ironwood rose from his seat, her father clutching his chair as Ironwood glared at him. "I would advise you to learn your place, Jacques. You don't want another embargo on Dust exports, do you?" Her father narrowed her eyes, and opened his mouth to respond-

Weiss gasped lightly as she heard the door click shut behind her. Ironwood and her father looked over at her. Her skin crawled, her scars burning as her father's eyes bore into her. Ironwood adjusted his uniform, nodding at her.

"Ms. Schnee. I didn't hear you come in. My apologies, I'll be leaving." Ironwood went to the door, and Weiss stepped out of the way as he opened the door. He smiled at her as he stood in the doorway. "You are more than welcome in my school, Weiss. Spring semester is coming up if you would like to enroll." Weisss bit her lip, and looked away. Ironwood looked back at her father. "Until next time."

Weiss kept her back to her father as she watched the door close, her heart thumping against her chest, anxiety eating her innards as the door shut.

"Did you forget your manners while you were gone? You couldn't even have the decency to come here dressed?" Weiss swallowed, her pajama's feeling sticky against her skin. Weiss took a breath, and turned to face her father. Her father was walking over to his desk, sitting down in the large leather seat.

"I'm sorry, Father. I was sleeping, and didn't want to keep you waiting," she said. Her father snorted.

"To think there are people out there who genuinely think what happened to Vale was Atlas' fault." Her father's nose wrinkled with disgust. "And instead of stripping him of his rank, the Council has made Ironwood the Honoris Consul for Dust knows how long." Weiss made her way to her father's desk as he sighed in annoyance. "The Council is full of fools if they want to trust him with running this kingdom." Weiss hesitated, biting her lip as she thought of what to say.

"Well... none of them were there." Her father looked over at her. She looked away. "T-the people who think it's our fault. And I'm sure the Council has a good reason to trust Ironwood like that." Her father snorted.

"Because of him, our company is forbidden from exporting Dust to the other Kingdoms. A 'precautionary measure' until he's sure war won't break out." Her father rested his head on his hand. "Maximus has been breathing down my neck to increase our revenue somehow due to it. Since he lost that son of his he's been nothing but a thorn in my side." Weiss cocked her head to the side.

"Cardin? He's dead?" Her father nodded, a bored look in his eyes.

"Yes. Killed while fighting during the Fall. Very heroic death I'm told." Her father adjusted himself in his seat. "The funeral is next month, and they asked that you attend." Weiss raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Me? Why?" She asked.

"The boy was quite fond of you. He told his family that he planned on marrying you, that you were the only bride fitting for someone like him. That that blonde friend of yours kept getting in the way of your love." He chuckled. "And to think Maximus was so adament on not scheduling a play date when you two were little. Thought those political marriages were a relic and wanted Cardin to find his own lover."

"I... I see." Weiss felt like she was going to throw up, her legs feeling weak. Did Cardin plan on... she shook her head, trying to clear her head of those horrible thoughts.

"After you're back from the funeral, I want your assistance with a project of mine." Weiss cocked her head to the side. "The Schnee Dust Company will be holding a charity concert several months from now, to help aid in the reconstruction of Vale City. To show the people of Remnant that we are on their side; that we have all suffered from the Fall of Beacon." Weiss felt a smile tug at her lips.

"That's wonderful." Her father smiled, a glint in his eye.

"I'm glad you feel that way. You will be the star of the concert, after all." Weiss blinked.

"What?" She asked.

"Many don't know that you were there, Weiss. My own flesh and blood, fighting to protect another Kingdom. I need you to show that the Schnee family is as strong as ever. And who better to show our generosity to Vale then you."

"Winter was there to-" Her father's glare grew icey, and he raised his hand. Weiss flinched, he smiled, and moved his hand, stroking his mustache.

"I would think it wise not to discuss her around me. You know I don't like punishing you more then I have to."

"Yes, Father. And... I'll begin practicing." Her father's smile grew, and he rested his hands on his desk, his fingers interlocked.

"That's my girl," he said. He pulled his scroll out, motioning for her to leave.

Weiss sighed in relief, her stomach unknotting itself as she closed the door behind her.

"Hot coco, Lady Schnee?" Weiss looked over to see Klein smiling at her, a tray with a steaming cup held out in front of him. She took tbe cup, the warmth seeping into her hands. "I always find Lord Jacques' office dreadfully chilly." Klein blinked, his eyes turning red. "Probably because his heart is so cold."

Weiss held back a laugh, nervously glancing back at her father's door.

"Klein!" Klein smirked before letting out a sneeze, his eyes turning blue.

"My apologies, Lady Schnee." He sneezed again. "You know how my temper gets sometimes." Klein said. Weiss giggled, wrapping her other hand around the warm mug.

"It's okay, Klein. You're not wrong." She said. He snorted, and she giggled again; he had the oddest laugh. Klein's eyes returned to their normal yellow.

"There she is; my precious snowflake. I knew I could get you to smile today." Weiss looked down at her mug, the steam wafting against her skin. She allowed herself to smile.

"Thank you, Klein," she said.

* * *

The arena was dark, a red light flickering above her. A lone woman stood across from her, her body a shadow, her eyes glowing orange.

Pyrrha charged at the woman with a scream, thrusting her spear forward. The Shadow Woman dodged it, laughter echoing around her as Pyrrha slashed at her, the Woman skirting around her every attack. Pyrrha snarled, and pounced, tackling the Shadow Woman to the ground. Pyrrha stabbed her spear down into her neck, cutting her head off. The shadows dissipated, a green and gray dress, and pale freckled skin appearing. Pyrrha dropped her spear, getting off of Penny's corpse, her breathing growing faster. No, no, no, this wasn't what she wanted.

Penny's head rolled to the arena edge, blood oozing from her mouth and eyes. Pyrrha backed away as Penny's head grew in size, her flesh rotting and shriveling up. Shadowy figures materialized around her, filling the arena seats and fight ring. They all pointed at her, smoke drifting off their bodies.

"Murderer"

"Killer"

"Failure"

Pyrrha backed away from them, her eyes darting around. She smiled, relief washing through her. Jaune stood in the crowd, emanating light. She ran through the crowd, shoving past the shadows, throwing her arms open, tears welling. Jaune opened his arms, smiling at her-

and turned to dust when they embraced. His ashes coated her, her body feeling heavy. She gasped, covering her ears as Penny's head shrieked, blood gushing from her mouth, flooding the arena. The shadows began to solidify; charred, blackened corpses.

Pyrrha ran for the arena exit, the corpses grabbing her, tugging at her, ripping at her armor. She looked back, the wall of blood fast approaching, Penny's wails growing louder. She looked back at the exit, gasping in surprise.

Ruby stood staring at her, hate in her silver eyes. She sneered, and left the arena, the exit disappearing with her. Blood slammed into her back, throwing her off her feet, rushing over her head. Jaune's ashs were a weight as she struggled to breach the surface. She let out a scream, blood filling her mouth and lungs as the corpses grabbed her legs, dragging her into the murky depths.

Pyrrha bolted upright, gasping for air, her body slick with sweat. She slowed her breathing, grabbing her water bottle and drinking from it, water dribbling down her chin. She dropped the bottle, wiping her lips, looking around the camp.

The fire had died, embers glowing faintly. Moonlight filtered through the leaves, fireflies dancing through the air. Ren stood next to a tree at the edge of their camp's clearing, his back to her. She narrowed her eyes at Ruby's empty bedroll.

"She left camp again," Ren said, not looking back. Pyrrha sighed, and stood up.

"I'll go find her," she said. Ren said nothing.

Dew coated the leaves on the trees, dripping onto her, the fireflies buzzing around her as she wandered through the forest. She stopped, closing her eyes to listen. Owls hooting, snakes slithering in the bushes. She opened her eyes at the faint sound of Ruby grunting. She followed the sound of Ruby's grunting, the moon lighting her path.

She reached the edge of a clearing and stopped, peaking out from behind a tree.

Ruby flipped through the air, grunting as she swung her scythe. Her scroll sat on a log. Pyrrha's eyes widened, her hand hoing to her mouth to silence a gasp. Penny. Ruby didn't seem to notice her. She swiped left, rewinding the video. She pressed play, backing away from the log, her eyes on her scroll as she swung her scythe.

"Is it recording?" Penny asked.

"Yes, Penny, its recording." Yang said. Penny smiled and waved.

"Hello, Ruby! This is my birthday gift to you! Happy birthday!" Penny stopped waving, resting her hands behind her back. "Yang told me that you like gifts like this more than material objects. I hope that this is satisfactory." Penny looked away, blushing. "I wanted to tell you, Ruby, that I love you. That I am so happy I got to meet you. You have taught me so much, I can not imagine what my life would be like without you. I know that I am rather odd, and that to other people it must be frustrating having to deal with me. But you were never like that. You have treated me like a real girl since the day we met." Penny looked back at the camera, resting a hand over her heart, and motioning with the other.

"Encase we get seperated, if I have to leave, and go back home. I want you to know that I love you with every part of my heart. Thank you for letting me be a part of your life, Ruby."

The video ended, and Ruby collapsed, Crescent Rose falling into the grass. Ruby trembled, sobs rocking her body. She rested her head on the grass, her sobbing muffled.

Pyrrha looked back at the video, of the girl she murdered. Pyrrha shook her head, closing her eyes and leaving, Ruby's sobbing growing quieter.

 **And that's it for now. Idk when I'll be updating again.**  
 **Oh and yes, I did change Salem's groups gender because I thought it'd make more sense given Salem's plans.**  
 **Due to pacing reasons, Weiss' original chapter amount will be increased to 3 instead of 2.**


	54. Of Runaways and Stowaways

**I have a new computer! :D Back to our regular scheduling.**  
 **Also! The V5 Soundtrack just dropped and it's really good. Path to Isolation really surprised me with some of the lyrics.**

The sun beat down on her as she leaned against the railing, the air thick with salt. Mist sprayed as waves lapped at the ships sides. Blake allowed herself to smile, inhaling deeply, savoring the smell of the sea. Below deck was cramped and full of people. The decks were a little less crowded. And a lot less smelly. She could hear children laughing as they played on the deck, hearty laughter as people fished off the side of the ship. Her ear twitched, and her hand went to her pistol.

"Traveling alone?" A voice asked. She turned to the voice, lifting her pistol from its holster. It was the ship's captain, his hands resting behind his back, his wolf's tail swishing gently behind him. She nodded. He chortled as he glanced down at the gun in her hand. "Just came to talk. No need for that." She narrowed her eyes at him, and holstered her gun.

"Why do you want to talk to me?" she asked. The captain shrugged, and went over to the railing, leaning against it.

"A lot of refugees on this boat. Most of em traveling alone to get back home to some family members. But you? You don't have that kinda look in your eye." He motioned to her weapons. "You a Hunter? A mercenary? Hired to protect some people during their voyage?" he asked. Blake's gaze fell, and she rubbed the white blue ribbon wrapped around her arm. She sighed.

"I'm nobody important. I'm just trying to get away." The captain said nothing, staring out at the sea. Blake heard a group of children run past them, laughing as they played. The captain stepped away from the railing, and nodded at her.

"I'll leave you be, dear. Enjoy the rest of the voyage." He left, and Blake went back to the railing. She looked over at the ribbon on her arm, and smiled gently.

Menagerie wasn't the only home she wanted to go back to.

* * *

Yang stood quivering in the snow, tears dripping down her face. She wiped at them with her hand, feeling the fire in her veins start to die.

Weiss' ice blue eyes, her smile, their held hands in the medical tent.

 _weiss never left you_

She closed her eyes, and sighed. She went to the stump and scooping up the logs, resting them in the crook of her arm.

She trudged through the snow, the winds picking up as she walked, her jacket whipping around her, the cold cutting through her shirt. She stopped in front of the door, and reached for it, struggling to keep all of the logs in place. She grabbed the handle, the logs spilling out. She groaned in annoyance, and forced the door open. Snow started to blow into the living room as she bent down and picked up the logs, awkwardly tucking them under her arm. She kicked the door shut as she entered.

She went over to the empty fire place, dumping the logs into the empty basket next to it. Dad wanted those logs, he can fucking light it himself.

She sat down on the couch. She looked over at the magazines on the coffee stand, and then over at the remote on the cushion next to her. She reached for the remote, and turned to the tv as she turned it on.

A recording of Glynda helping in the reconstruction of Vale City played in the corner as a reporter spoke.

"Despite the best efforts of the Vale Hunters, the situation at Beacon Academy has not improved. Headmistress Goodwitch has-"

Click!

"The backup towers scattered throughout the Kingdom have helped maintain communication within the Kingdom. However, with the loss of the CCT, communication with the outside world is-"

Click!

"The Vale Council has voted to ban any and all air traffic that does not directly involve evacuation, citing the lack of mass communication as an airway hazard. The Council has also voted to extend the length of the Faunus curfew, due to the-"

Click!

"Rumors continue to circulate as to who exactly was responsible for the attack during the Vytal Festival. However, there has been official confirmation that Adam Taurus, a high ranking member of the White Fang and leader of its Vale branch, was sited at Beacon Academy." Yang's mouth parted, her eyes narrowing as she looked at the screen. A photo of a man in black with red hair and horns appeared in the corner. Adam? Blake's Adam? "Taurus and a woman only known as The Belladonna are among the most wanted criminals in Vale for their extensive acts of terrorism not only in Vale but throughout Remnant. Belladonna was not seen during the attack but investigators believe that she and Taurus are the most likely suspects for the Fall of Beacon."

Yang snarled and turned the tv off, tossing the remote aside. That had to be bullshit. Blake had left the White Fang, she was with Weiss the entire time before she…. She never would have helped them.

 _right?_

She leaned her head back as she heard the door open, her father walking in, the mail in his hands. A large package was tucked under his arm. He smiled at her, closing the door.

"Guess what came in," he said.

"What?" she asked. Her father walked around the couch, setting the package on the coffee table in front of her. He beamed as she looked at it. She eyed it for a moment before undoing the wrapping around it. A white box with the Atlas emblem sat in the wrapping. She opened it up, her eyes widening.

"It's from General Ironwood. I didn't think he would be able to get it over here so fast, it's only been three months." Her father said. Her hand went to her stump, the end of it itching, a phantom pain shooting through her stump.

A robotic arm sat in the box, gleaming silver and white. A note in neat hand writing sat above it.

 **For your valor on the battlefields during the Battle of Beacon. I gift this to you. May it serve you well.**

She looked up at her father. He smiled at her.

"Well? Do you like it? Are you gonna try it on?"

"It's uh… it's great. But…" she trailed off, looking away as her father's smile fell. "I'm not feeling too hot right now so… maybe later?" Her father rubbed the back of her head.

"I guess." He looked over at the empty fire place. "Could you get the fire started? I'll make us some lunch." She sighed, and nodded. Her father left the room. She heard cabinets opening and closing, glasses clinking onto the counter. She sighed again, closing the lid of the box and going to the fireplace. She tossed a few of the logs in, along with some tinder. She pulled the box of matches down, struggling to open it. She managed to open it, and set it on the ground, pulling a match out. She closed the box, and struck the match. She held it out to the logs and tinder, watching the flames start to consume them. The logs started to crackle as the fire spread. Yang blinked.

The stalls around her were on fire, crackling as they burned, the smell of Violet's corpse lingering in the air. Yang got to her knees, wiping the puke off her lips. Her eyes widened as she heard the Ursa's growl.

* * *

Taiyang's head jerked up, dropping the cup in his hand as Yang's scream rang through the house. He dashed through the kitchen door, freezing at what he saw.

Yang was on the ground, thrashing, swatting at the empty space beneath her stump, screaming, her eyes darting around. Yang stopped screaming, her body locking up, her eyes glazing over as she stared up at the ceiling. Tears welled in her eyes, and slid down her face as she blinked. Her body trembled, and she rested her hand against her face as she started to sob.

Tai lingered in the doorway, opening and closing his hand as he watched his daughter curl into a ball, sobs rocking her body. He backed back into the kitchen, his head hung low as he listened to her cry.

* * *

Blake walked onto the deck of the ship, stretching her back as she left the lower levels. The sun was beginning to set, the waters a golden orange as they caught the sun. She saw a group of fishermen shouting at each other as they pulled on a net. She walked over to the railing, drinking in the scent of salt and fish. She watched the sun set, resting a hand on the ribbon. She heard footsteps and looked behind her to see a couple walk past. She looked back at the sun, rubbing the ribbon. She smiled at the thought of Her; her beautiful icy eyes, her ivory hair, her warm smile. The scars littering her pale body that she wanted to kiss and to hold her against her chest and tell her everything will be okay.

"Watch what you're doing ya dumb bastard!" Blake looked over at the fishermen as they tugged the net onto the deck, large black fish thrashing in the nets. Blake squinted; the larger fish had white bones covering them, their eyes a piercing orange. Grimm.

"Son of a bitch, is that all there is in these waters? This is what, the tenth one we've caught?" One of the fishermen nodded while another counted on his hands, looking up as he counted. One of the fishermen went over to the thrashing Grimm, pulling out a knife. He grabbed a hold of its head, and raked the knife against its throat.

The Grimm's thrashing grew weaker until it stopped, its dark blood spreading across the deck as smoke began to rise from its body.

Blake's nose wrinkled in disgust and she turned away, leaving. She walked along the side of the ship, thankful for the solitude. Outside of the fishermen, sailors, and a few stragglers, almost everyone was below deck.

She walked past a lifeboat, her ears perking up as she heard a grunt come from within it. She walked back to it, narrowing her eyes as she stared at it. She gripped her pistol as she saw it sway a bit, hearing another sound; a male voice. She pulled her pistol out, and grabbed a hold of the tarp covering it. She yanked back, and yelped as she was knocked back, two figures leaping out of the boat.

"I have a stick and I'm not afraid to use it!" Blake blinked, her eyes widening in shock.

"Sun? Neptune?" Neptune blinked in surprise, shoving past Sun as he continued to swing at nothing with his staff.

"Blake? You're alive?" Sun stopped, seeming to realize he wasn't being attacked. Sun's eyes widened and he smiled at her, putting his staff away.

"Holy shit! Blake!" She holstered her pistol, frowning as they embraced her.

"Why are you two here?" she asked.

"What's it look like we're doing?" Sun said.

"We stowed away on this ship. Can't really afford inter-Kingdom travel fees." Neptune added.

Blake opened her mouth to respond-

-and her mouth slammed shut as the ship lurched to a halt. They fell to the deck, Sun grunting. Blake got up, going to the railing, looking over the edge. She saw a flash of black under the waves.

"We hit a reef?"

Blake's ears pinned to her head as a haunting wail echoed around them. The ship rocked again, a second wail answering the first.

"Blake, what's happening?"

Blake yelled as she was thrown back, the ship lurching to the side, water being thrown onto the deck. She heard screaming from the lower levels, the fishermen screaming from the prow. She staggered to her feet, grunting as the ship rocked violently. The ship lights began to glow a dull red, she could hear the sailors sprinting throughout the ship, shouting at each other.

Blake pinned herself to the wall, Sun and Neptune scrambling to their feet as the fishermen ran past them.

"Abaia! It's an Aba-" The ship lurched, and one of the fisherman screamed as he was thrown overboard. Blake ran to the railing, gasping in shock.

She saw a flash of black in the water, and bone white teeth as it closed around the fisherman, the water turning crimson. Blake jumped back from the railing as the ship lurched again, mist spraying onto her as water flooded the deck. She ran to the ships prow, shoving past sailors, her eyes widening as a giant black eel rose from the water, water running down its bone armor. It stared at her, and Blake spun around as she heard another rise from the waters, blood staining its teeth. She drew her sword, hearing Sun and Neptune running up behind her.

An alarm started to blare, the red lights flashing. The Abaia's sunk back down into the water, the ship rocking.

"Uh, Blake." She looked back at Neptune as he unslung his assault rifle. Sun drew his staff. "How the hell are we supposed to fight those things!"

The ship lurched as one of the Abaia rose up, its maw opening wide. Blake leapt out of the way as a torrent of water shot from its mouth. She ran towards the railing, gritting her teeth as she heard Neptune firing at it, and Sun yelping as he dodged the torrent.

She leapt from the railing with a yell, slamming her blade into its slimy hide. The Abaia shrieked, water spraying into the air as its torrent fizzled off. Blake sucked in a lungful of air as the eel sunk back into the water.

Salt stung her eyes as the eel swam, the waters tugging at her as it slithered through the water. She could see the other Abaia as a black blob off to the side. The eel broke the surface, and she gasped for air before snarling. She grabbed her pistol, firing at the eel's face. The eel shrieked, thrashing about, black blood raining down on her. She heard the other eel break the surface, and she yanked her sword free, backflipping off.

She thrusted down, hearing the second Abaia scream as her sword lodged itself in its eye. She grit her teeth, struggling to aim as the eel thrashed beneath her. She yelped as her sword was knocked free, blood soaking the blade. The eel shot up, and tossed its head to the side; she screamed as she was thrown into the air.

The first eel lunged up, she spun to the side, leaving a shadow clone, hearing its jaws snap shut. She swung her sword, the Abaia screaming, blood gushing out as she sliced open its hide. She gasped, throwing a clone in front of her as the second eel lunged at her. It's jaws slammed shut in front of her, her clone dissipating into a black mist. She landed on the eels teeth and leapt forward, tumbling as she landed on the ships deck. She got to her feet, breathing hard as the eels turned to her.

The eel she had sliced open opened its mouth, water dripping from its maw. She snarled at it, raising her pistol. It's head exploded, black blood spraying into the air, and raining down. Blake looked back, a large cannon had risen up from the ships deck. Sun gave her a thumbs up before ejecting the spent shell. She turned back to the remaining eel, hearing Neptune strain as he lugged the rounds over to Sun. The Abaia sank into the waves, the other eel's corpse hitting the side of the ship before slumping into the water, water spraying and the ship rocking as it crashed into the waves.

"Blake!" She looked back over at Sun. He pointed at the cannon. "This thing can't move! Try and get it where I can shoot it!" She nodded.

Blake spun around, hearing the Albaia rise from the waters at the rear of the ship. It reared back, water shooting from its mouth, boards spraying into the air as the deck was torn apart. Blake ran down the ship, firing at it's face. Her eyes shot wide as the torrent of water shot at her.

Blake pinned herself to the ships side, splinters and water spraying onto her. The torrent ended, and the Abaia sank into the water. Blake stepped away from the wall, her clothes soaked and heavy.

The Abaia shot out of the water in front of her, lunging, its blood stained jaws snapping at her. Blake leapt out of the way, throwing a clone behind her. She spun around, jumping onto the railing, and pouncing from it with a yell. She grabbed a hold of the eel's fin, struggling to keep her grip as she dangled in the air, the hide slippery. The eel screeched, starting to thrash. She grit her teeth, stabbing her sword into its back. She glanced over, Neptune was firing at the eel with his rifle. The eel whirled towards him, opening its mouth. Blake scowled and leapt up, slamming her sword into its back, grabbing its fin. The eel screamed, blood raining from its face as Neptune shot at it. Blake climbed, water spraying onto her, blood raining down.

She reached the top of its head, and pulled her arm back before thrusting down with a scream. She buried her sword up to the hilt, the eel's screams being cut short. It's body went limp, smoke rising from its corpse. Blake tried to yank her sword free, grunting as the blade snapped. She grimaced and leapt from the Abaia's head, rolling onto the deck as the eel slid into the depths.

She staggered to her feet, her clothes a heavy weight, salt stinging her eyes, her ears clogged with water. She gave an annoyed look at the handle of her katana before tossing it aside. Sun and Neptune ran up to her, beaming, and smiling. Sun threw his hand up.

"Up top!" he said. Blake rolled her eyes before high fiving him. Neptune raised his hand and she did the same for him.

* * *

Neptune crossed his arms as Sun finished talking to the refugees who wanted to thank them. Blake stood next to him, leaning against the railing, staring off into the distance. The water's were black, the moon a white light on the waves. Sun appeared next to him, hopping onto the railing and sitting down on it.

"Man, you'd think they'd never seen a fight before," he said. Blake sighed. She looked over at them.

"Why are you two here? Did you follow me?" Neptune shook his head.

"We thought you were dead, Blake. No one's seen you since the night Beacon fell, and you weren't in the safe zone." Blake's gaze fell.

"Maybe it would have been better if I had." Neptune was taken back and Sun glanced over at her, his mouth open in shock.

"What, are you Weiss now?" Blake glowered at them.

"Don't talk about her like that." Neptune held up his hands.

"Alright, sorry." He lowered his hands. "But seriously, Blake. That's a pretty fucked thing to say." Blake looked back at the ocean.

"You two wouldn't understand. I've done some terrible things in the past, and I thought I could get away from all of that but I can't."

"Why not go to your team about it?" Sun asked. Blake shook her head.

"They already know about what I've done. About who I used to be. But they can't help me with this. The people who are after me… they…" Blake took a breath. "They killed Coco and Fox. I can't risk my team mates lives. If anyone else has to die, it should be me."

"Well… if these people are after you." Neptune glanced over at Sun. Sun nodded and smirked.

"Then you can count on us to help protect you!" Blake snorted.

"And I'm guessing I don't have a say in the matter."

"Nope!" Sun said. She shook her head, but he saw a glimmer of a smile. Sun threw his arms out, smiling. "Man, it's gonna be great being back in Mistral! We haven't been there in so long, Nep!" Blake looked at them, cocking her head to the side.

"Mistral?" she asked. Neptune nodded.

"Yeah. That's where we're headed, right?" Blake shook her head.

"This boat is going to Menagerie."

Neptune whirled on Sun, who nervously laughed and rubbed the back of his head.

"I told you, you should have let me find the boat!" Blake facepalmed, shaking her head.

"I'm doomed."

* * *

Cinder gasped in pain, feeling the Scarab as it burrowed through her flesh. Salem sat next to her, watching her.

"Don't try and fight it, my child. It can sense your trepidation. That will only draw this out." Cinder gasped in pain, clutching her stump, feeling the beetle as it squirmed inside her. "You must make it fear you. You own it." Salem smiled as a sharp pain shot through her, her voice strangled with pain as she gasped. "You wanted this, didn't you?" Salem snickered. "You were nothing but a whore when I found you, would you want to go back to that pitiful existence?"

Cinder snarled, gnashing her teeth as another spasm of pain shot through her, feeling the beetle break through her skin. She shook her head.

"Then tell me. Tell me that this is what you want. That you want this power. That you want to make this world suffer for what it has done." Cinder's eyes darted to the door, seeing Emerald peering in. "No." Cinder looked back at Salem. Salem shook her head. "I said, I want to hear _you_ say it." Cinder clutched her stump to her chest, hearing the beetle clicking.

"I want this," she croaked.

 **Up next are the first Yang and Weiss original chapters, and Ruby's original chapter.**


	55. Silence

**And here's Yang's first original chapter, rather short. I really liked the Death Stranding trailer, that music was superb, and definitely helped with this chapter.**

She ran her thumb over the photo, and sniffed as her eyes started to water. She felt Zwei shift from his spot on her bed, looking up at her. She smiled at him before wiping at her eyes, and looking back at the photo. Her eyes wandered over her sister, and her best friend before settling on Weiss. She looked so happy, her icy blue eyes so warm.

Yang lowered the photo, looking at her hand. Her touch had been so soft, her hand had been so warm.

 _i won't leave you_

Yang flexed her hand, feeling the ghost of her touch.

She closed her eyes, her hand trailing down her body, Weiss' phantom touch making her shiver. She exhaled as the fingers slid in, Weiss' face filling her mind.

 _holding her tight that night, stroking her hair as she sobbed into her jacket, feeling her tremble_

Yang's back arched, her breathing unsteady.

 _they're tight embrace, staring into each other's eyes. "I…" i love you. "I really care about you"_

She gasped gently.

 _wanting her to go to the dance, to see her in whatever beautiful dress she had planned. to spend it together, the dance they both worked so hard on together._

 _She doesn't love you._

Yang frowned, shaking her head, Weiss' touch wavering.

 _cradling her in the arena, staring into her eyes, holding her to her chest, wanting to wipe the ash away with her lips_

 _She tossed you aside as soon as Blake ran into that arena._

Yang's cheeks felt wet.

 _waiting for her in their bedroom, getting to finally be alone with her, to shower her with lo-_

 _She has Blake._

 _She doesn't love you._

 _You did this to yourself._

 _You stupid cunt._

A choked cry escaped her lips as she came, tears running down her face. She opened her eyes, pulling her hand free. Her fingers were sticky, her underwear uncomfortable.

 _What makes you think she would ever look at you like that?_

 _You hit her._

 _You're an unlovable wreck._

 _You're weak._

 _You wouldn't even fight for the chance to be with the girl you love, you set her up with someone else._

 _You deserve this._

Yang sniffled, her vision blurring as the tears dripped down. She clutched the bed sheet, her stump itching. She turned on her side, closing her eyes.

* * *

She lit the cigarette dangling from her lips, taking a long drag from it. She exhaled, watching the smoke drift away. She kicked her leg, watching the sunrise. She wasn't meant to be outside yet due to the curfew but fuck that. No one could find her on top of a building anyways.

Velvet took another long drag, shivering as the icy wind blew around her. Snow drifted past her, the sun turning the city to gold as its light reflected off the snow. Her jacket rustled with the wind as it blew all around her. Her ears twitched, slightly uncomfortable as they were held down by Her beret.

She flicked the butt away, resting her arm on her leg. The sun kept rising, the streets beginning to fill up, the people black dots from where she sat. She could hear the faint sound of construction, steam wafting into the air all across the city.

"Good morning Vale citizens. The time is now, nine o' clock. At this time, all Faunus are now allowed to leave their quarters. Please return to them in a timely manner by nineteen hundred. The Vale Council thanks you for your co-operation." Velvet snorted as the mechanical voice repeated the message, the voice echoing throughout the city.

She watched the sun for a few more minutes before getting to her feet. She left the roof, stuffing her hands into her jacket pockets as she made her way down the buildings stairs.

People were bustling down the street, most of them shooting her dirty looks as she started to walk down the sidewalk. She didn't care. The snow continued to fall all around her; she felt it resting on her beret, chilling her ears.

The street's began to thin out as she walked, heading further and further to the edge of the city. Dark stains painted the streets and crumbling buildings. The burned out trees where covered in snow. Her breath came out in silver puffs, the air growing more and more frigid.

She reached the city's outskirts, Hunter's bustling past her, their weapons slung over their backs. She made her way through the camp, nodding at Yatsuhashi as she walked past him. He paused, lowering his whet stone as he nodded back at her. She saw Glynda in the center of the camp, looking at her scroll, deep in thought.

Glynda looked up from her scroll, smiling as Velvet came up.

"Good morning, Velvet. I'm sorry you had to wait so long to get here." She scowled as she looked at her scroll. "The Council doesn't want to listen to anything I have to say." Velvet crossed her arms.

"It's fine." Glynda shook her head.

"It isn't." Glynda sighed, pushing her glasses up.

"How's Beacon doing? Any progress?" Velvet asked. Glynda shook her head.

"We've been able to get more and more remains out of the school, and we've been able to identify most of them. But as long as that Beast is there, we won't be able to clear the school out." Glynda motioned with her head for Velvet to follow her before starting to walk. Velvet kept pace. "Speaking of, I want you to deliver something for me."

They stopped in front of a table littered with scraps of clothes, broken weapons, and miscellaneous trinkets. Glynda picked up a black katana, the handle a glock. Velvet cocked her head to the side as she looked at Blake's sword.

"We still haven't found her body?" Velvet asked. Glynda shook her head, her gaze on the floor.

"We haven't found a single sign of her remains. Just her sword."

"So… you want me to deliver it to her family?" Glynda shook her head before looking at her. She held the sword out, and Velvet grabbed it.

"I've searched through every record, and even had the Council help but we've found no trace of a Belladonna family. I want you to take this to Yang. With Ruby and Weiss gone, she's the only one we can give it to." Velvet slung the sword over her shoulder, feeling it rest against her back. "Yang lives in a house out in the forest on Patch. Grimm live on that island, so please be careful." Velvet crossed her arms.

"Anything for me once I get back?" Glynda nodded.

"You and Yatsu are going out past the Wall to a nearby village to ask if they can help in the reconstruction. I'll make sure you two have enough supplies." Velvet nodded. Glynda nodded back, turning her attention back to her scroll.

Velvet turned, and left. She nodded at Yatsuhashi as she walked out of the camp.

* * *

Tai lowered his scroll, sighing. He should have known better; there was no way to get in contact with her. He tossed the scroll aside, hearing it thump as it landed on his bed.

Yang curling up into a ball and sobbing. Her thrashing on the ground, screaming.

He shook his head; what could he do?

He glanced over at the photo next to his dresser. A smile tugged at his lips as he looked at her. What he wouldn't give for her to come back. His eyes wandered over to Qrow, frowning slightly, before looking over at Summer. He sighed again.

"Wish you were here, Summer. You'd know what to do."

* * *

Velvet stood in the snow, her hand raised, hesitating. This never got any easier. She sighed and finally knocked on the door. She put her hands in her jacket pockets, looking behind her as she heard someone moving around inside.

The door opened, a tall blonde man standing in the doorway. He arched an eyebrow in confusion as he looked at her.

"I'm here to visit Yang," she said. The man made a face, glancing behind him before stepping out of the doorway.

The house was warm, thawing her body. A fire crackled in the fireplace, a small corgi was sleeping on a bed next to the couch.

"Which room?" she asked. The man pointed up the stairs.

"First on the left."

She climbed the stairs, and stopped before Yang's door.

"Yang?" She called. There wasn't an answer. She grabbed the door knob, finding it unlocked. She opened the door, poking her head in.

Yang was in her bed, laying on her side, her back to her. Velvet opened the door some more, slipping into the room.

"What do you want?" Yang asked. Velvet closed the door, leaning against it, Blake's sword pressing against her back.

"How have you been?"

"What do you think?" Velvet crossed her arms.

"Have you heard anything from Ruby?" Yang shook her head, her hair falling off her shoulder.

"Weiss' dad let her leave Atlas?"

"Nope." Velvet shifted, Blake's sword a heavy weight. She sighed, closing her eyes as she pulled Blake's sword out.

"We haven't been able to find Blake's body. And we haven't been able to get in contact with her family." She heard Yang's bed squeak, and she opened her eyes. Yang's eye grew wide, tears welling, her mouth parting as she stared at the sword. "You're the closest thing to a family she had."

Yang rose from her bed, Velvet looked away, her stump grotesque. She felt Yang take the sword from her hand. She looked back at Yang as Yang stared at the blade.

"Where did you find it?"

"It was in the cafeteria. Same place we found Coco, Fox, and Cardin." Yang lowered the sword, her head falling, her hair obscuring her face.

"Thanks, I guess." Velvet hesitated before wrapping her arms around Yang. Yang stiffened at the contact, not returning the hug.

"We've all lost a lot, Yang. You're not alone. If you need help, don't be afraid to reach out to us."

Yang said nothing. Velvet gave her a squeeze before ending the hug, resting a hand on Yang's shoulder. She didn't know what to say to her. She patted Yang's shoulder before turning, her hand slipping to her side. She left the room, closing the door behind her.

* * *

Yang sat down on her bed, letting Blake's sword fall into her lap. She could hear the clock in her room ticking, the window rattling as the wind blew. She stared at the blade, tears welling. She squinted, was that blood on the tip? She ran her thumb over the brown spot coating the blade. Didn't… didn't Coco die from a stab wound? And Fox a slash to his chest? And Cardin a decapitation?

 _Taurus and a woman only known as The Belladonna are among the most wanted criminals in Vale_

 _Belladonna was not seen during the attack but investigators believe that she and Taurus are the most likely suspects for the Fall of Beacon_

Blake…. Blake wouldn't….

 _How many?_

 _More than I care to remember_

But… but her and Weiss…

 _Would you all be better off if I was dead!_

But…I….she… Blake was my partner…

 _I do not need another partner_

Yang shook her head, the sword falling from her lap and clattering to the floor as she stood up. Her throat felt dry, her stump burning as she stared at the sword.

 _if… if Blake was a part of it… she would have left with them…they wouldn't be able to find a body_

 _was…was it all a lie?_

Yang fell to her knees, clutching her head, tears starting to fall. No. No, no, no. She had to be wrong. Blake wouldn't… Blake wouldn't betray them. Blake loved them. Blake wanted to stop the White Fang, right?

The blood on the blade stared back at her as she cried.

 **And after some thought, I think I can do Weiss' story in 2 chapters instead of 3.**


	56. Numb

**Weiss' first original chapter. Yuki Kajiura's music was a huge help with this chapter.**  
 **TW: Self Harm**

She inhaled sharply, feeling the blood trickle down her arm. Pain shot through her as she raked the blade across her wrist.

"Really? You're really doing this right now?" Weiss squeezed her eyes shut, the razor trembling in her hand as she placed it against her skin. She heard Mirror sigh. Weiss whimpered as she felt the blood flow. She heard Mirror knocking against her mirror. "Hey, I'm talking to you little miss edgelord."

Weiss got up from her bed, going to her night stand. Mirror had her arms crossed, glowering at her. Weiss opened up her dresser, dropping the razor in, specks of blood falling onto her white clothes. She rummaged through her clothes, not caring about the blood dripping down her arm and staining he clothes. She pulled out a packet of bandages, and alcohol wipes. Mirror snorted.

"What. Not going to let your aura heal you? Are you seriously going to do that again, you dumb bitch?" Weiss dabbed an alcohol wipe against the cuts, the sting hardly bothering her as she wiped the blood off her arm. She tossed the bloody wipe away, and bandaged her arms up, watching the cloth begin to turn crimson.

Her head jerked up as she heard someone knock at her door. She stuffed the bandages and wipes into her dresser, slamming it shut, and tucking her sleeves down.

"Come in," she said. The door opened, and Klein walked in. He glanced at something behind her before looking up at her.

"You're father wanted to let you know he would be leaving for the funeral in a few minutes. He wanted to make sure you were ready." Weiss looked over at Mirror. Mirror narrowed her eyes at her.

"I just need to change." Klein nodded before leaving, closing the door behind him. Weiss glanced back, her shoulders slumping as she looked at the blood stained wipe.

"Nice going. Now you're going to make Klein worry. " Weiss left the nightstand, going to her couch. She took her clothes off before putting on the black dress her father wanted. It looked more like a robe, obscuring her feet and most of her hands. She pulled her hair back into a bun, setting her tiara in place. She slipped on her black heels.

"You look lovely, Weiss. Let's hope that's what they put you in for your funeral."

Weiss left her room, her head hung low as she made her way through the mansion. She could feel the butlers and maids looking at her as she walked past them.

Her father was waiting next to the car when she reached the garage. She could see the chauffeur in his seat already.

"The princess done taking her time?" her father asked. Weiss clutched her wrist, her head low as she nodded. He snorted, and opened the car door. "Let's go."

She entered the car, climbing to the seat farthest from her father. She leaned against the door as her father climbed in. He shut the door before knocking on the glass separating them from the driver. The driver gave a thumbs up as the car came to life. The garage door opened, snow drifting in. Weiss stared out the window as the car moved forward and into the white void.

She watched the snow drift past the car, staring out at the barren, empty world. The ground was a white blanket, the skies gray as it snowed. She saw a speck of black a distance off; some Ursa or Leshy scavenging on the tundra her family had made their home.

It was silent, the engine soundless, her father sitting stiffly in the white leather seats. She couldn't hear the winds. She played with her hands, the car slightly uncomfortable with how warm it was. She saw a large blob on the horizon; the Alsius Mountains.

"Weiss." She looked over at her father. He was on his scroll, looking at something as he spoke. "The funeral's going to be held in a Brother's Church. Take that Dustist sapphire off before we go in." Weiss rubbed the sapphire at her throat, its soft touch soothing, She sighed and nodded her head. Her father crossed his legs. "You loved that boy, right?" Weiss looked over at him, praying the disgust she felt was masked. "Even if you didn't, I need you to act like you did; we need the Winchester's if we want to keep this company afloat until that embargo is lifted." Weiss looked away. She looked up at her window when she heard laughter. Mirror was clutching her sides, laughing, tears running down.

"The prim and proper little princess! Going to mourn the man who harassed you, just like any good house wife would!" Mirror wiped at her eyes, her laughter starting to die down. "Oh can you imagine how great it would be being married to that worm, Weiss? Answering his every beck and call, satisfying his every disgusting urge, listening to him put down everything you cherish as you become nothing more than a vessel for his children." Mirror smirked. "You'd be the good little wife, just like Mother."

Weiss rubbed her wrist, looking down at her lap. She listened to Mirror hum while she rubbed and squeezed her wrist, feeling her bandages growing damp underneath her sleeves. The interior of the car grew dark, a low blue glow coming from the window. She glanced up, watching as they sped through the pass in the mountains; the stone walls a beautiful shade of lapis, streaked with blacks and whites. After a moment they broke free, and sunlight filtered into the car. Weiss squinted, the harsh light hurting her eyes. She blinked several times as her eyes adjusted, looking out at Atlas City.

The city was filled with towering skyscrapers of white steel and blue glass. Air trains snaked their ways through the buildings. She gripped her wrist as the car sped through the streets, looking out at the people in their winter clothes as they zoomed past them. Neon screens covered several of the buildings; news, and advertisements playing on them. Snow covered the streets, coating the buildings.

She gazed out the window, watching the buildings pass them by. The car started to slow down, and Weiss looked ahead. A large cathedral was ahead of them, a multitude of cars parked in front of it; the mourners in stark contrast to the white landscape.

She grasped the sapphire at her throat, undoing it from her dress, and holding it in her hand. She followed her father out of the car, her sleeve hiding the gem. She followed her father as he went to the crowd of mourners, the cold winds blowing against her face. She hung back as her father greeted the Winchester's, gripping her sapphire, it's cool touch comforting.

"Weiss." She looked over at her father. He motioned for her to come over, standing next to a tall man. Weiss hesitated before walking over to them. The large man looked like Cardin, only his face was harsher, more wrinkled, his ginger hair streaked with gray. He shoved his hand out, smiling at her. She felt her skin crawl as she looked at him; that look in his eyes was gross. "You've met Maximus before I believe. When you were very little." Her father said. Weiss politely took Maximus' hand, and shook it. She felt like dunking it in acid once he let go of her hand.

"I haven't seen you since you were a tiny little thing. I can see why Cardin was so infatuated with you; you're quite gorgeous."

Weiss heard a muffled gagging come from her sapphire.

"Dust help us, we really have to listen to this." Mirror said. Weiss kept her mouth shut, watching her father as he got Maximus' attention again.

"I truly am sorry to hear about Cardin, Max. I can't imagine what it must feel like to lose a child."

Weiss looked away, tightening her grip on her sapphire, her wrists aching. She swallowed, her throat dry, and her body cold. The snow drifted past her as the wind blew; her sleeves brushing past her hands. Her head started to droop as she stared at the snow swallowing the ends of her dress.

 _he won't care_

 _mother won't care_

 _no one will care_

"Weiss." She looked over at her father. He beckoned to her, the mourners funneling past him and into the cathedral. She dutifully followed after him, entering the cathedral.

The black and white stones seemed so alien to her, the large silver decorations adorning the walls. It smelled old, and unfriendly, nothing like her temple, with its vibrant colors and comforting incense. She heard the mourning murmuring as she walked past them, following her father to their spot in the front pew. She hid the disgust she felt as she saw Maximus already seated. Her father took the spot next to him, and Weiss exhaled, relieved, and sat next to her father. She looked ahead, at the slick black coffin, Cardin's portrait hanging in front of it. A Brother's priest stood next to the coffin, watching the door as the last of the mourners hurried in. A few moments passed before the pries cleared his throat, resting his hands together.

"We are gathered here today, in memory of Cardin Winchester. He was…"

Weiss looked down at her lap, glancing at her sapphire as the priest prattled on. She saw Mirror faintly in the depths of blue. Mirror yawned, covering her mouth before smacking her lips.

"Isn't this great, Weiss? Having to be stuck here, mourning some prick." Mirror smirked. "How do you think Ruby's funeral went?" Weiss' lips became a thin line, glancing up at the casket. The dragon's roar, the tower as it came crumbling down. Mirror giggled and she looked back down at her. "Assuming of coarse that they even had enough of Ruby _to_ bury." Mirror's smirk grew. "But what if she never made it to the tower, hm? What if she died before getting there? Ripped apart by Grimm, screaming and begging for you to come save her. And where were you, hm? Running away to 'safety'." Weiss blinked, her eyes feeling watery, and her vision starting to blur. Mirror's lips parted as she smiled, curling over her teeth.

"If you weren't so weak, you would be back in Vale, by Yang's side, helping her recover." Mirror snorted. "You couldn't even break out of your father's grip." Weiss felt her cheeks begin to warm as something slid down them. "Winter doesn't care about you. She let Father take you. She isn't going to miss you. The only person who's would have missed you is Blake." Mirror lowered her head, her smirk chilling Weiss as her gaze bore into her soul.

"And Blake is dead." Mirror began to laugh. "You truly thought that you could find someone who could love you? A freak like you! You're out of your Dust damned mind! You cut yourself! Who could ever love someone like you! This world will be so much better when you're dead!"

Weiss hiccupped, squeezing her eyes shut as she cried, her scars tingling.

"Blake's death is on our hands, you know? We could have followed her, gone after that Grimm together." Weiss shook her head, squeezing the gem, feeling it cut into her hand. "But you didn't, and look what happened." Mirror started to scream, her voice resonating throughout her mind, wracking her skull as the scream turned to Blake's.

Blake screaming in agony as her aura broke, the Beowolf's claws ripping into her stomach. Gambol Shroud clattering to the flaming floor. Her strangled gasps for air, gripping her stomach, the blood gushing out. The growl from the wolf as it lunged, Blake's gurgled cry as it's jaws wrapped around her throat.

"Wei-!" Blake's cry became a sickening crunch as the wolf jerked it's head, Blake's head twisting, blood dribbling down her chin. The wolf jerked back, ripping Blake's head off. Her body fell to the floor, her hand twitching as blood pooled from her neck. The wolf tossed her head aside, ripping her back open with its claws, sinking its teeth into her flesh.

Weiss' eyes snapped open, her body shaking as she began to sob. She felt blood running from her palm, her gem cutting her. She rocked back and forth in the pew, clutching her arms, her body shaking uncontrollably, her sobs the only thing she could hear.

She saw her father smirking out of the corner of her eye.

She didn't remember entering the car. She blinked, her eyes sore, and her throat dry. She looked out the window, greeted by darkness.

"Maximus wanted me to thank you for showing such grief over his son." She looked over, her father sitting in the seat at the opposite window. He was on his scroll, a bored look on his face. "He tried to tell you in person but when you finally stopped wailing you wouldn't talk." He snorted, narrowing his eyes at something on his scroll. "You were more like a doll then anything at that point; this empty look in your eyes, just nodding at whatever we said to you." Weiss looked down at her hands, a large pink scar across the palm of her hand. She reached for her throat, finding her sapphire, dried blood flaking as she rubbed it. "You should have left that in the car, the priest was so worried when he saw you bleeding. Had to stop the funeral until he made sure you were okay." Her father sighed. "Made the damn thing go on longer then it needed to."

Weiss said nothing. She looked back out the window, watching the snow flurry around their car, hoping to see some light in the night. After some time she could see the outline of her family's mansion in the headlights.

The garage door yawned open as they pulled in, the car coming to a stop. Her father exited without a word, shutting the door. Weiss stayed seated, rolling up her sleeves. She stared at her blood stained bandages before undoing them. She saw fresh pink scars on her arms. She blinked, tilting her head, flexing her hands, watching her muscles move around beneath her flesh. At the veins covered by the white and pink lines. The car grew dark as the engine died, and the chauffeur left. Weiss rested her hands in her lap, leaning against the door, staring at the white leather seat in front of her.

 _is this my punishment?_

Weiss lowered her sleeves, grabbing the dirty bandages. It didn't seem like as much blood as last time. She sighed and opened the car door. She tossed the bandages into a trash bind before going into the mansion.

The lights had been turned on, illuminating the white hallways, the furniture and decorations casting long shadows. It was empty as she made her way to her room, the only company the sound of her heels clicking against the floor.

She reached her room, slowly opening the door. It was dark; the moon obscured by the snow clouds. She closed the door behind her, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. The bloody wipe she had left on the floor was gone, her bed made. She looked at her nightstand. A bowl of böhmischer gulasch sat there, steam wafting from it. She blinked slowly, feeling hunger biting at her innards. She had last eaten…. she shook her head, ignoring the growling coming from her stomach.

She sat down in front of her nightstand, staring at her reflection. She pulled her tiara free, setting it down, undoing her hair and shaking it free.

 _what did blake see in me_

Mirror smirked at her.

"You truly are the ugliest of them all."

Weiss' shoulder's slumped, and she exhaled. She reached for her dresser, opening it up. She felt around, her clothes soft against her hand. She felt something small and metallic, and grasped it, pulling it free. She stared at the razor, at the brown blood caking it. She rolled her sleeve up, and set the razor against her skin.

 **And that's it. Weiss has one chapter left, which I hope you will enjoy when we get to it.**


	57. Walking with Strangers

**I remember in one of the V4 WoR that it was mentioned that Anima was filled with swampland's. I thought it would be neat to see RNPR go through one while making their way to Mistral. Hope you enjoy!**

Nora crossed her arms under her poncho, the rain pattering against her. Mud splashed as she trudged alongside Ren. Ruby was walking ahead of them, Pyrrha trailing behind. The gnarled branches of the trees around them offered little protection as the rain poured down. The muddy ground was surrounded by large pools of ink black water. She grimaced as the scent of rotten eggs drifted past them.

She looked back at Pyrrha, water dripping onto her face. Pyrrha was staring ahead, her eyes unfocused, her wet hair sticking to her face. Her armor was soaked, her scarf clinging to her. Nora cocked an eyebrow.

"You sure you don't want your poncho?" Nora asked. Pyrrha shook her head. Nora shrugged, and looked ahead. Ruby wasn't wearing a poncho either, her cloak wrapped around her and her hood pulled up. Nora groaned, resting her head on Ren's arm as they walked. "How much farther?"

"At this pace, just a few more hours." Nora groaned louder.

"Where are we going anyway?" Nora asked.

"If the map is right, Yami village is the only village in the Blackwater Bog." Nora gave Ren an odd look.

"Yami? Who names their village that?" Ren shrugged.

Ruby looked back at them, Nora saw her hands moving around beneath her cloak.

"What's it mean?"

"Huh? Oh, don't worry about it. It just sounds silly in Common." Nora said. Ruby shrugged and turned back to the muddy road. They continued on in silence for quite some time, the only sound the squish of their shoes against the mud, the croaking of frogs, and the rain as it drenched everything around them.

"Hey Nora?" Ruby asked. Nora perked up.

"Yeah?" Ruby seemed to hesitate.

"Why do you and Pyrrha have different names?" Nora blinked.

"What?"

"I mean, why are your names so…different? From everyone else we've met in Mistral?"

"Oh! Well, uh." She glanced back at Pyrrha. Pyrrha sighed.

"After the Great War, a lot of people were without homes. A lot of people from certain Kingdoms immigrated to new ones. My family was originally from Vale before they had to move here to Mistral." Pyrrha flicked her scarf behind her, water spraying as it swung. "Didn't you ever think to ask why Yang's name was so different than yours?" Pyrrha asked. Ruby nodded.

"I did when I was younger, but I thought that was just my dad's family, I never really thought about it." Ruby looked over at her. "Where was your family from originally, Nora?" Ruby asked.

"Uhhh. I don't know. Atlas, I guess."

"Did your family never tell you?" She felt Ren place a hand on her shoulder; she could see a pink glow from the corner of her eye.

"Uh, yeah. They uh, never told me. That's it." Ruby glanced at the glowing hand on her shoulder, and gave Ren an odd look before turning back to the road. Nora sighed in relief.

* * *

Ruby kept her hands on her scythe as she walked through a set of wet bushes. She exhaled, relieved, at the sight before them.

The buildings in Yami where smushed together, the lights from the windows illuminating the rain and darkness. Large, black pools of water replaced the mud road they had been traveling; wooden bridges crisscrossed over the bog water, connecting the village together. Large, moss covered trees surrounded the village, their dark branches hanging over the buildings, blocking out the night sky. Lanterns were placed throughout the village, illuminating the wooden bridges, the glow from the Yellow Dust crystals a welcoming sight.

She heard Ren, Pyrrha, and Nora join her. She looked over at them, smiling.

"Looks like the Grimm haven't gotten this village yet." She said.

They made their way down, the wooden beams a welcome feeling after hours of marching through soggy mud. The planks groaned as they walked, and Ruby could hear something splashing in the waters beneath them. She could hear people moving around in the buildings that they walked past; muffled voices and creaking wood. She glanced up as they neared a large building, a sign hanging from its porch; the Gulping Spider. Ruby looked back at Ren.

"Do we have enough to stay here for the night?" she asked. Ren nodded.

"The amount of Lien we got back in that village should be more than enough."

Ruby opened the door, smiling as heat and light washed over her. The ryokan was crowded, the wooden tables filled with patrons. A fireplace was roaring on the wall opposite of her. Her stomach grumbled as the scent of so many different foods hit her. She went to the counter, the innkeeper giving her an odd look. He glanced past her as her team mates came up behind her. The innkeeper rubbed a pendant around his neck. Ruby cocked her head to the side as she looked at it; that was a weird looking eye.

"Room for four, please!" Ruby said. The innkeeper eyed them as he rubbed the eye pendant.

"Hunters, I take it?"

"Uh-huh!" The innkeeper stopped rubbing the pendant, and smiled at them.

"The kaiseki is on the house. We'll get your room ready." He reached under the desk and pulled a key out, handing it to Ruby. He rested his hands on the desk as Ruby pocketed the key. "By any chance, would you Hunters be interested in a village security mission?" Ruby cocked her head to the side.

"What's the problem? Are the Grimm bothering your village?"

"Aye." The innkeeper leaned forward. "A Zaratan and Tsuchigumo have taken up residence nearby, Mother damn them. Fearsome beasts they are, made short work of a lot of poor travelers. Village is starting to get low on supplies." He smiled. "We'd really appreciate your help."

Ruby looked back at her team, frowning slightly as she saw past them. The other patrons had grown quiet, the crackling of the fire the only sound in the building. They were staring at them, watching, most of them wearing the same eye pendant as the innkeeper. Pyrrha looked back, and the patrons turned back to their meals, the chatter returning. Pyrrha rested her hand on her spear as she turned back to Ruby.

"What do you guys think?" Ruby asked. Pyrrha glanced over at the innkeeper, and remained silent. Nora looked over at the other patrons, rubbing the back of her head.

"I mean… if they need the help. I guess we could do it." Ruby looked over at Ren.

"Ren, what do you think?" Ren crossed his arms.

"Higanbana is still a ways away, and the Blackwater Bog is long. We could use whatever supplies they can reward us." Ruby turned back to the innkeeper, flashing a smile.

"We'll take care of your Grimm problem." The innkeeper smiled.

"Excellent." He drummed his fingers on the desk. "When you exit the village you will come to a fork in the swamp. The drier path to the right will take you to the Zaratan. The path to the left will take you deeper into the swamp, to the Tsuchigumo's web. The way out of the Blackwater Bog is through the Zaratan's path, and that bloodthirsty beast is our main concern."

* * *

Pyrrha shut their room's door behind her. Ruby flopped down face first onto the bed, groaning, her legs dangling off the side. Nora and Ren were taking off their shoes, Ren grimacing at the muck coating his feet. Pyrrha leaned against the door, crossing her arms. She glanced over at the walls, narrowing her eyes at them. How thin were they?

"I don't like this place," she said. Ruby looked up from the bed.

"Why?" she asked. Pyrrha glanced back over at the wall. She shrugged.

"That innkeeper and those people downstairs. Something about them doesn't feel right." She said. She rubbed her chin. "I'm not the most religious person but… have any of you ever heard of a Mother before? Or seen that pendant before?" Nora frowned, and Ren paused from washing the muck to think. They looked over at her and shook their heads.

"I thought it was a little weird the way they were all staring at us but…" Ruby shifted on the bed, sitting up. "I think these people are just scared, and wanted to know if we'd help them. They have Grimm hunting outside of their village, and they're low on food." She rocked back and forth on the bed. "This place seems pretty remote so I wouldn't be surprised if they have their own local faith. It's not too crazy, right?" Nora rubbed the back of her head.

"I guess not." Nora said. Ren nodded in agreement.

Pyrrha glanced at the wall again before sighing, and going to her bed, taking off her damp armor and scarf.

* * *

Ren kept his hands near Storm Flower as he trudged through the murky water. He glanced around as he walked, listening for any sound. Ruby, Nora, and Pyrrha decided it best to take on the Zaratan and leave the Tsuchigumo to him; the Zaratan sounded like the bigger threat.

 _Splash!_

He spun around, drawing Storm Flower. His eyes darted around, glancing up at the tree tops. He swallowed, slowly backing away from the sound. He spun around again as he felt the ground tremble. His eyes widened as the trees in front of him snapped and broke, falling into the water.

The ground trembled as a giant turtle trudged through the swamp, muck and water spraying into the air with each step, trees falling aside as it shoved past them. It's skin was ink black, almost every inch of its body covered in thick bone white armor. Moss and algae covered it's shell. The turtle looked over at him, its orange eyes staring at him as it chewed, green leaves falling from its mouth.

Ren frowned; that innkeeper mentioned a web, this Grimm did not look like it spun webs. The turtle stared at him, swallowing its greens. He cocked his head to the side, hesitating before holstering his guns. He hesitantly walked forward, holding a hand out. The turtle approached him slowly, waves of water lapping at Ren's legs as it walked. He stopped, holding out his hand. The turtle bowed its head, sniffing at his hand. It closed its eyes, and rubbed its head against his hand.

This Grimm seemed… harmless? The turtle nuzzled his hand, its hide scaly. If the Zaratan was down this way then that meant-

Ren yanked his hand back, bolting, sprinting through the swamp.

* * *

Pyrrha kept a tight grip on her spear as she followed after Ruby and Nora. Their weapons were drawn, Ruby's pace cautious as she scanned the area around them. Pyrrha looked behind her, eyes darting around. Zaratan's were big…somethings, right? They shouldn't be hard to miss in this swamp. She frowned.

"Ruby?" she called out.

"Yeah?"

"The Grimm we're going after, do you know anything about them?" she asked. Ruby was silent for a moment and Pyrrha looked back at her. Ruby sheepishly shook her head.

"I remember Weiss read a book and told me about a bunch of Grimm Professor Port was supposed to teach us about in our fourth year. She told me the Zaratan was a big turtle and the Tsuchigumo was a spider but I don't think she told me anything about them."

Pyrrha opened her mouth to respond before closing it, staring up at the tree line. A multitude of white cocoons were in the air above them. They were humanoid shaped but it looked like the heads were missing. She heard Ruby and Nora slow to a stop.

"Ruby."

"Yeah?"

"This is the way to the turtle, right?"

"I…I think so."

"Uh, guys." Pyrrha looked over at Nora; she was pointing ahead. Pyrrha looked over, a chill going through her. Web covered weapons were scattered in front of them; some hanging from tree branches, others submerged in the water around their muddy path. She squinted; the swamp turning whiter and whiter further in.

Pyrrha turned around, her eyes shooting wide. An ink black spider towered in front of her, bone armor coating its legs and thorax. It clicked its fangs as it stared at them with its orange eyes. She heard Ruby gasp as her and Nora turned around. The spider moved forward, clicking its fangs, saliva dripping down. Pyrrha backed away, raising her spear, glancing back at the web behind them.

"Sugar Rush!" Ruby commanded. Nora nodded, dropping to a knee, lowering her hammer, Ruby jumping on. Nora grunted as she flung Ruby into the air, Ruby leaving rose petals in her wake as she shot through the air with her semblance. She landed on a tree branch, her rifle popping into place. Pyrrha stood her ground, shoving her spear at the spider. It didn't flinch, continuing to move forward.

She heard a crack of thunder, and jumped back as the spider flailed, its legs crashing through a tree.

"Valkos!" Ruby ordered. Pyrrha glanced over at Nora, locking eyes with her. They nodded at each other and pounced. She stabbed into the spider's exposed belly, feeling it writhe as blood gushed down her spear. She heard a sickening crunch, and Nora grunt; the spider scrambling struggling to scramble back. Two of its leg's were missing, dark blood oozing.

"Sugar Rush!"

Nora charged forward, swinging her hammer with a yell. The spider's head was shot up as Nora's hammer slammed into it. Ruby shot down with a scream, swinging Crescent Rose, black blood spraying out, the spider's head flying into the air. Ruby got to her feet, leaning against her scythe.

The spider's body collapsed, blood draining from its missing legs and head. Ruby spun on her heels, smiling at them.

"Great job te-"

Pyrrha tightened the grip on her spear as an inhuman wail came from the spider's corpse. Fear shot through Ruby's eyes as she slowly turned around.

The spider's body was convulsing, writhing, pus oozing from its neck and legs. Pyrrha's mouth fell open in shock as bones shot from the spider's missing legs, hearing them snap and crack as they formed new legs. The spider stood up, its body undulating, thrashing around as pus and blood oozed out. Skulls began to drop from the hole in its neck, slime drenching them. She backed away, eyes wide in horror as more skulls were spit out before a bone white shape ripped its way through the hole. It twitched as it righted itself, drenched in slime and blood, bones cracking into place. A multitude of human skulls had been warped and horribly fused together; jaws forming fangs, teeth pinchers.

The spider opened its new mouth, a hellish shriek issuing forth.

"Oh fuck!" Nora screamed.

"Run!"

Pyrrha bolted, jumping into the bog, sprinting through the water, hearing Nora and Ruby as the ran behind her. The spider screamed, the ground shaking as it leapt after them, trees crashing to the ground as it tore through them. She gasped as webbing shot past her, latching onto a tree. She leapt out of the way as the webbing went taut, the tree being yanked back, crashing into the water. Muck and mud washed over her, and she rose to her feet, sputtering as it dripped down. Nora spun around, her hammer switching to a grenade launcher.

The spider leapt over Nora, and Pyrrha charged forward as she heard Ruby scream. She vaulted over the fallen tree, pouncing at the spider with a yell. Ruby was thrashing underneath the spider's grip, her scythe floating in the waters next to her, straining to keep its massive pinchers away. Pyrrha buried her spear into the spider's hide, spinning on it and landing on the staff. The spider screamed, rearing back, Ruby shooting away, snatching her scythe up.

Pyrrha snarled and kicked at the center of the staff, feeling it break apart. She caught the staff's other half with her semblance, bringing it to her hand as it formed a sword. She grabbed the spider's armor, yanking herself up and onto it's body. The spider started to buck, rearing up and screaming. Pyrrha grit her teeth, struggling to keep her balance. She yelped as the spider lurched forward, tumbling down its body and splashing into the water. The world was dark, mud coating her face. She burst from the water, screaming as the spider grabbed her.

She heard a clang, and saw the spider's pinchers bounce off of her armor. The spider lunged at her face, and Pyrrha's sword shot up, catching the pincher's, struggling to keep them away, drool dripping onto her face.

Heat washed over her as an explosion rocked the spider. It reared up with a scream, and Pyrrha rolled out of the way as it came crashing down. The spider spun around, webbing spraying forth. Nora gasped as the webbing hit, screaming as she was yanked forward.

Ruby sprung forward with a yell, slashing the webbing with her scythe, before spinning towards the spider.

"Pyrruby!"

Pyrrha charged at the spider, Ruby running alongside her. Webbing sprayed from the spider, Ruby zipping past it, and leaping at the spider with a yell. She swung her scythe, one of its legs flying into the air. Ruby landed on one of its legs, her scythe turning into a rifle, leaping into the air as the spider reared back, firing at it as she turned in the air. Pyrrha lunged forward, stabbing into the spider's belly rapidly with her sword, blood raining down on her. Ruby landed on one of the legs, spinning on her heel as her scythe sprung out, slicing through the bone armor and ripping into its sides. Semi digested heads spilled forth, dropping into the water.

Pyrrha leapt back as the spider crashed down, and lurched to the side, crashing through a tree, Ruby tumbling off with a groan. Another explosion hit the spider, the tree catching on fire as it wailed. Ruby got to her feet, running away, firing behind her as the spider chased after her. Ruby ran past her, dropping the magazine from her rifle.

"Valkos!" Ruby shouted.

Pyrrha swung her arms, a magnetic field shooting around her as she heard Nora fire several times. She latched onto the grenades as they hit her magnetic web, smirking as the spider lunged at her. She swung her arms, the spider roaring in pain as the grenades landed, the explosions blowing apart its armor, several of its legs disintegrating. The spider crumbled to the ground, snarling, blood and broken bone drooling from its maw.

She felt waves lap at her and saw a red blur as Ruby zoomed past her, several cracks of thunder as she fired. The spider wailed as blood spurted, flames igniting from the bullet holes. Ruby was a blur as she zipped around the spider, each shot and slash leading into the other as she lit the spider ablaze.

* * *

He burst through a pair of trees, landing in water, gasping for breath, the air thick with pungent smoke. A giant fire was roaring in front of him, cracks and pops audible from the carcass as it burned.

"Are you guys okay?" he wheezed. Nora spun around, her eyes lighting up before she ran over to him. He grunted as Nora tackled him, knocking them both down.

Ren smiled, wrapping his arms around her. He could feel her heart rapidly thumping against her chest. She clutched his shirt, her voice lower, hard for him to hear. "I was worried something bad had happened to you." She said.

"Nora." She looked up, and he unwrapped his arms. He poked her nose, smiling. "Boop," he said. Nora smiled back, kissing his nose before resting her forehead on his.

"Boop," she said.

He heard Ruby clear her throat and looked past Nora over at his teammates. Pyrrha was yanking her other spear half from the spider's burning hide, while Ruby was rocking back and forth on her heels, watching them.

"Sooo, any ideas why we ran into the spider?" Ruby asked. "The innkeeper told us the turtle would be down this way, right?" she asked.

Nora got off of him, and Ren stood up.

"I ran into the Zaratan. The innkeeper must have gotten them mixed up." Pyrrha reformed her spear and sheathed it, snorting. The Tsuchigumo's leg's twitched as its body popped, the flames consuming it. Pyrrha looked over at them.

"He set us up." Ruby frowned, opening and closing her mouth several times.

"Why would he do that?" Ruby asked. Pyrrha shrugged. She looked ahead, at where Yami village sat.

"I'd rather not find out." Pyrrha looked over at him. "Ren, which way do we go to get to Higanbana?" Ren pulled his backpack off, pulling the map out. He studied it for a few moments, tracing a finger over where they most likely where, and over to Higanbana's location. He nodded, and looked up at them.

"If we head down this way, we'll get out of the Bog and back onto dry land, and then Higanbana is just a few days away." He folded up the map and placed it back in the pack before slinging it over his shoulder. Pyrrha nodded, and looked over at Ruby. Ruby's silver eyes were downcast, just for a moment, before Ruby looked up, flashing a smile.

"Then let's head out team! To Higanbanana!"

* * *

Ruby shivered, clutching her arms around her body underneath her cloak. The rain was pouring down, the cold drenching her cloak and seeping through, chilling her. She looked back at her team mates as they slept. Pyrrha had set up a lean-to, their ponchos sheltering them from the rain. They were huddled together, their bedrolls scrunched up, their blankets covering most of them; Pyrrha's legs were sticking out more than the others. Ruby sighed, and shivered again, rubbing her arms against herself.

Why did that innkeeper trick them?

Ruby gripped her holstered scythe, the cold metal a sharp pain.

 _This isn't one of your stupid fairy tales where everything comes out okay! Sometimes horrible things just happen, Ruby! And there is nothing we can do to stop it!_

Ruby lowered her head, closing her eyes as her sister's voice echoed in her mind. She felt the water drip down from her hood and run down her face. She didn't really care.

Weiss wouldn't have fallen for that man, she would have figured out he was a liar the minute he gave them their room. Blake would have figured out a way past the Grimm. Ruby snorted as she pictured Blake going full ninja, leading them through that horrible swamp.

 _why am i so stupid_

 _This is the real world, Red. The real world is cold._

 _why am i such a failure_

The water running down her face felt warm.

 _why am i such a freak_

She opened her eyes, feeling the rain drip down.

 _i couldn't even lead my own team. i can't lead them. i'm just going to get us all killed._

Ruby rested her hand on her dress, feeling the outline of her scroll in her pocket. She wished the rain would stop. Just for a little bit, just to see their faces again. Ruby closed her eyes again, lifting her head up, feeling the rain pelt down against her face.

"Weiss… Blake… I hope you're safe." She whispered. She sighed, her hand going to her throat, feeling the silver rose necklace she wore. "And Yang… I hope you can forgive me."

Ruby looked back when she heard a rustling. Pyrrha was looking up from her bedroll, her eyes half open, barely awake.

"Did you say something, Ruby?" she asked. Ruby smiled at her.

"Nope! Must have been the rain." Pyrrha blinked, yawned, and laid her head back down.

Ruby's expression fell, and she turned away from them, running her hand over the necklace. She exhaled, shivering as the rain poured down.

 **And that's it. Up next is Family, and then Weiss' last chapter.**


	58. Family

**I saw a tweet from RTX that they're announcing a RWBY YA book series that's gonna be published by Scholastic. I'm really curious as to what that series will be like, and who RT hired to write it.**

The world was on fire, screams surrounding her, the air choked with black smoke. Yang looked down at her hands, flexing the fingers of her right hand. She glanced up, hearing Ruby as she ran from her, the flames parting as she ran through them.

Yang reached out, gasping as she felt something grab her feet. Her eyes widened, her jaw dropping. Jet's headless body was clawing its way out of the burning ground, latching onto her legs, his fingers burning her skin. She tried to pull herself free, screaming as Sterling, Violet, and Drey's blood soaked bodies burst forth, latching onto her, clawing into her, their mouths opening and closing in soundless screams.

Yang struggled, thrashing, straining to free herself. She saw Ember Celica materialize on her wrists, and she screamed as she punched down, her friend's disappearing in a red smoke. She stood gasping, clutching the side of her face, Ember Celica a heavy weight on her right arm. Her body went numb; a deep growl emitting from behind.

She spun around, screaming as she was knocked to the ground, the Ursa roaring in her face, saliva splattering all over her. She swung her fist, her eyes widening in horror as her arm disintegrated. The Ursa growled, pinning her arm down, drooling as it glared at her throat. Yang screamed, trying to yank her arm free, kicking against the Ursa. The Ursa lunged, its jaws wrapping around her throat, her screams cut short as it ripped her throat open.

Yang's eye's shot open, her body slick with sweat. She felt her heartbeat start to slow as she looked around her room, at the moon and snow casting cool light into her dark room. She looked over at her nightstand, at the mechanical arm that rested there. She sat up, her legs dangling over the edge of her bed, a phantom pain in her right side. She sighed, stood up, and left her room.

The house was dark, moonlight filtering in through the windows. She climbed down the stairs, yawning. She looked over at the railing, knitting her brow. The kitchen light was on, voices coming from inside.

* * *

Glynda sipped from her coffee, smiling as its warmth spread through her. She set the mug down on the table, looking over at Tai.

"Thank you for letting me come over on such short notice," she said. Tai smiled, taking a sip from his own mug.

"It's no problem, Professor." He said. She giggled.

"Come now, I haven't been your teacher in such a long time." She took a sip. "And it's Headmistress now, if you still want to be polite." She lowered the mug, and adjusted her glasses. "Have you heard anything from Ruby?" she asked. Tai shook his head. "Have you considered going after her?" Tai chewed on his lip, and shook his head.

"How are things going with Beacon?" he asked, looking away.

"As well as you would expect. The Council has thankfully been giving me whatever supplies I need, but it's still…" she paused. "The Grimm arrive faster then we can kill them. With Port, Oobleck, and Peach gone, we're low on Hunters who are familiar with the campus."

"What about students?" Glynda narrowed her eyes at him.

"I lost too many of my children that night. I won't endanger another one."

Her head snapped over to the doorway as she heard a board squeak. She smiled as she saw Yang hanging in the doorway. Yang backed out of the doorway slightly, her hand going to her stump, rubbing it.

"Hello, Yang." She motioned to the empty seats around her. "You're more than welcome to join us." Yang hesitated before entering the room, going to the counter and hopping onto it. Tai moved his mug out of the way as Yang situated herself.

"Sooo. What are you doing here?" Yang asked.

"Despite popular belief, I do take breaks. I was overseeing a timber shipment here on Patch and thought I would stop by." She glanced at the tied up jacket sleeve on Yang's right side. "It's good to see you, Yang. How have you been feeling?"

"Okay, I guess. It's just." she rubbed the end of her stump, her expression falling. "It's hard, ya know? Getting used to this." Glynda nodded. Tai cocked his head to the side.

"Wouldn't it help if you started wearing the arm?" Glynda's eyebrows shot up in surprise and Yang turned to her father, her mouth open in shock.

"What?"

"You said it's hard getting used to it. Won't the replacement help with that?"

"I told you, I'm not ready to wear that yet. It… it feels wrong."

"Wrong? Having two arms feels wrong now?" Yang stared at her father, disgust and shock on her face.

"You want me to what? Act like nothing fucking happened? That I'm perfectly okay when a part of me is fucking missing?" Tai scowled.

"Watch your language," he said. Yang scoffed, hopping down from the counter.

"Oh sure, let me go out and get the shit kicked out of me as a kid but say fuck and ooo, now you start acting like a dad."

"I said watch your mouth!" Tai shouted.

"Or fucking what? Huh?" Yang shouted back. Tai snarled as he turned to his daughter.

"You're a child, Yang, and you need to listen to me!" Yang snorted, clenching her hand into a fist.

"Sure dad, I'm the child! It's not like I'm the one who fucking raised Ruby because you couldn't!" Tai's lip twitched as he glared at Yang.

"What Yang, you think you're so grown up? You think you can take on the real world?" He shoved a finger at her stump. "Well look what happened the last time you tried."

"Taiyang!" Glynda shouted. Yang started to tremble, before turning and running out of the room, tears welling in her eyes. The anger on Tai's face dissipated, and he went to the doorway. Glynda stood from her chair, glowering at him. "What is wrong with you, Tai?!" she demanded. She heard a door slam upstairs. He gripped the doorway, not looking at her.

"I'm sorry, okay! It… it just slipped out. I-I didn't mean it." Glynda looked past him as she heard Yang stomp down the stairs, and throw open the door. Tai glanced back at her before leaving the kitchen. Glynda followed after him. The snow and cold nipped at her as she stepped outside. Yang was stomping through the snow; Glynda saw a metallic flash on Yang's right side. "Yang? Yang, where do you think you're going?" Tai called out.

"Leave me alone you prick." Yang said.

"Yang, wait, I-"

"I said leave me alone." Tai held up his arm, reaching out to her.

"You're my daughter! I can't let you go out at night; not in this weather." Yang looked back at him, her eyes glowing red in the darkness. She scowled at him.

"That's never stopped you before," she said. Tai stiffened, his arm falling to his side. Yang turned, and started to run. Tai fell to his knees, watching Yang as she ran from them.

* * *

He kept his hands in his pockets as he trudged through the swamp. Mosquito's buzzed around him, the air thick with the scent of rotten eggs. His hand shot out of his pocket, smacking his neck, feeling the bug squish and blood trickle down his neck. Of course Ruby would go through here.

Qrow pushed through a set of bushes, stopping, his shoulder's slumping at the sight before him.

The buildings were burned out, glass covering the boardwalks. The trees encasing the village had been uprooted, the limbs snapped off and flung throughout the village. Bodies floated in the bog water, being gnawed on by Sobek's. Corpses were strewn throughout the village, ravens picking at them. He grimaced as a raven plucked an eye from a dead man wearing a pendant. The decapitated body of a woman was nailed to the largest building, her belly slit open, her entrails dangling from her body. Salem's Eye was drawn in blood next to the woman, 'FALSE GOD' written in sloppy handwriting below.

Qrow sighed, pulled out his flask, and took a long swig from it. Whiskey dripped down his chin as he pulled the flask from his lips. He wiped at his chin, closing his eyes.

 _Brother's damn it, Raven._

* * *

Ruby thumbed the straps of her pack as they walked, the skies dark with rain clouds. She grimaced as she watched the clouds. She glanced over at Ren, who had his face buried in their map.

"Hey Ren, what kind of place is Higanabanana? " Ruby asked. She saw Ren smirk.

"Higanbana."

"Right, that's what I said." Ren lowered the map, still smiling.

"It's a well-protected village and has a popular ryokan. It's one of the largest settlements in Anima, like Kuchinashi."

"Which means no more camping in the rain!" Nora said cheerily.

"Assuming it's still there." Pyrrha said. Ruby looked back at her. Pyrrha was staring ahead blankly, trailing behind them. Ruby forced a smile, faking a laugh as Pyrrha looked at her.

"Of course it will be there, Pyrrha! You'll see!" Ruby said. Pyrrha grunted. Ruby turned back to the road, forcing the smile to remain as Ren and Nora glanced at her.

 _i hope it's still there_

They continued on in silence for several hours, and Ruby sighed in relief as the village came into view as the sun began to set. A large stone wall encircled the village; she noticed Hunters eying them from the walls top as they entered. People were hurrying into their homes, buildings beginning to light up as twilight descended. Ren pointed at a large building with a sign in front of it, and Ruby smiled.

They went to the ryokan, Ruby's stomach growling as the scent of various foods hit her. A man was behind the counter and smiled at them as they entered.

"Welcome to the Flowering Spring. Room for four I assume?" he asked. Ruby nodded. The man's smile faded, squinting past Ruby. "Are you… Pyrrha Nikos?" he asked. Ruby looked back. Pyrrha's expression didn't change, and she blinked slowly at the man. The man fidgeted under her gaze.

"No. She died back at Beacon." Pyrrha said.

"My apologies. I used to be a big fan of hers, and you look a lot like her. If your hair was longer, and if you had less scars you could be her twin."

"I get that a lot." She said. The man laughed nervously and turned his attention back to Ruby.

"Here's your room key. Help yourselves to the food and the bath. You'll pay on your way out." Ruby took the key, and led the way into the next room; oh she could really go for some rice right now.

* * *

She kept her eyes closed, steam wafting past her face, the air thick with humidity. Her legs felt relieved as the hot water kneaded her flesh. She heard the bath door slide open, and someone enter.

Pyrrha opened her eyes as the person entered the water. Nora submerged herself in the water, her face solemn as she took the spot next to her. Pyrrha cocked an eyebrow as Nora stared at the water.

"Did you need something?" Pyrrha asked. Nora glanced over at her, the cheerful glint usually in her eyes missing.

"Pyrrha…"

"What?" Nora looked back at the water.

"What you said to the inn keeper. About… about dying back at Beacon. What did you mean by that?" Pyrrha frowned.

"I don't want to be dealing with fans right now, Nora." She narrowed her eyes. "Didn't you tell me I need to get them to leave me alone? Why are you upset I'm doing that now." Nora shook her head.

"It wasn't just to get him to leave you alone, was it?" Nora asked. Pyrrha turned away, looking over at the wall, her lip tugging into a frown. "Pyrrha, I… I can't say that I know what it's like, what you're going through. but… I'm worried about you." Pyrrha's frown deepened. "I loved Jaune too. But would he want you acting this way?"

Pyrrha whirled, water splashing onto Nora's face as she stood.

"How would you know what he would have wanted?!" Pyrrha yelled. "He was the first person to ever see me as a person!" Nora shrunk back as she yelled. "I was the first person who treated him with any type of respect! He was nothing but a big joke to you three!" Pyrrha's cheeks felt wet; Nora's mouth hanging open in shock as she backed farther from her. "You have no idea what I've been through! _You_ still have Ren! _You_ didn't have your destiny ripped from you!" She stopped, her chest heaving. She sniffed, her legs feeling weak. She felt her legs give way, her arms wrapping themselves around her chest. She struggled to keep her voice even. "You're not a murderer like I am." she said.

She placed a hand over her mouth, silencing the hiccup as she felt the tears slide down. Nora hesitated before coming to her side. Pyrrha squeezed her eyes shut as Nora wrapped her arms around her, nuzzling her shoulder with her head. Pyrrha lowered her hands, sniffing.

"Why?" Nora tightened her grip around her. "Why did it have to be him? Why couldn't it have been me?" Nora didn't answer her, only tightening her grip, gently rocking the both of them.

* * *

Qrow shuddered as he strode into the village, the rain pelting against his skin as it poured down. He stuck close to the buildings; they blocked the worst of the rain at least. He glanced up at the large sign in front of the ryokan; Flowering Spring.

He opened the door to the ryokan, the lights stinging his eyes. He could hear laughter and a multitude of voices in the other room. He cocked his head to the side as he approached the front desk. A woman was standing at the reception desk. She gave him a wary look as he approached.

"Where's Kuro? Is he not working today?" he asked. The woman's expression fell.

"He was killed a few days ago by one of the patrons. I've had to take over in his place." Qrow exhaled, rubbing the back of his head.

"Sorry to hear that." He reached into his coat, the woman flinched, and he pulled out his scroll. He held it up to her, and the woman cocked an eyebrow. "Have you seen this girl?" The woman glanced from the photo to him. She crossed her arms.

"Why are you looking for her?"

"She's a relative of mine. She ran away from home with a couple of her friends and I'm trying to find her and get her back home before she gets hurt." The woman's expression softened.

"She was in here a few days ago, right before Kuro died. She said she was heading to Mistral City." Qrow pocketed his scroll; so he was right about where she was heading. The woman uncrossed her arms, resting them on the desk in front of her. "Do you want to stay for the night? You look exhausted." Qrow shook his head.

"I'll be fine. Thanks." He gave the woman a polite nod and left the ryokan. He stood under the porch, watching the rain as it came down. He rested his hands in his pockets, closing his eyes. He told her not to get involved; she had no idea what she was going up against. Qrow sighed and opened his eyes, looking over at the bar across from him. He wasn't going to be able to make much progress in this weather, best to wait it out.

He went to the bar, giving a nod to the bar tender as he took a seat. It was quiet; the rain pitter pattering against the roof, an occasional cough, the scraping of the chairs against the floor. The other patrons were solemnly staring at their drinks, or watching the rain through the windows. Qrow rested his hands on his table, staring at the lantern in front of him.

He glanced up as a glass was set in front of him.

"Sorry, I didn-" he started.

"From the woman upstairs. The one with red eyes." The waitress smiled at him. "She said you wouldn't mind bottom shelf, but I went ahead and gave you top." She winked at him. "Lucky you." Qrow looked down at the glass, watching the ice cubes float in the whiskey.

"Thanks, I guess." He said. The waitress seemed disappointed and left his side. He glanced up at the second floor, sighed, and grabbed the glass.

Qrow climbed the stairs, running his hand against the railing. He stopped at the top, taking a sip from the glass. Raven sat at a table in the middle of the second floor, the lanterns around her snuffed out. The lantern on her table glowed dully, shadows flickering across her face. Raven smiled.

"Hello, brother," she said.

"Raven." He said. He took the seat across from her, resting his arm behind him. "What do you want?"

"Can't a girl catch up with her family?" She asked. Qrow set his glass on the table.

"She can, but you're not. Why are you here?" Raven leaned back, her smug look fading.

"Has she found it?"

"Why do you care? I thought you were staying out of this."

"I want to know what we're up against, brother. Now tell me. Does Salem have the Relic?" Qrow shook his head. Raven exhaled, relieved. Qrow traced his finger around the rim of his drink.

"I thought your rule was you only help people once. Why did you save Yang that night?" Raven crossed her arms.

"I didn't save her. She saved herself." Qrow snorted, and took a sip.

"Sure," he said. Raven glowered at him before smirking.

"And how are things going with your" she threw up air quotes "'niece', hm?" Qrow scowled as Raven smirked.

" _She_ is wandering around Anima. Do you know where she is?"

"I don't." Qrow took a long drain from his glass. He looked at the ice cubes, the condensation on the glass as he spoke.

"I- We really need your help, Raven. With Oz gone, I-" Raven snickered.

"After everything you've done, brother? You would ask me to help you?" Qrow kept his gaze on the ice. "I told you and Summer that Ozpin would fail and he has. I told you that Beacon would fall, and it did." She snorted. "And yet you remain his loyal little lap dog."

"It wasn't my golden fucking moment, okay?!" He snapped, finally looking up at her face, at the hate in her red eyes. "You think I'm happy about any of this? Do you think I don't know that life would be so much simpler and less painful if I just ran off and went back to raiding like you did?" he said. "But if we don't follow Ozpin, if we don't fight against Her, then we are all going to die." He took a breath. "If I don't try and stop her, then that means Summer died for nothing." Raven glared at him.

"She did." He drained his glass, the whiskey burning his throat as it went down. He set the glass down with a clang, glaring at his sister.

"If you're not taking sides, why'd you do that?" he asked. Raven cocked an eyebrow. "Yami." He said. Raven shrugged.

"Salem's cult is dangerous, we can't have them spreading into the villages near our tribes territory."

"So Shion was just for fun then?"

"The weak die. The strong survive. That's how it works." Raven said. Qrow chortled.

"I'm living proof that that's bullshit." Raven glared at him before standing, her chair scraping against the floor. A black and maroon portal materialized on the wall behind them. She began to walk over to it. "Raven," he said. His sister stopped, looking over her shoulder at him. "I saw the damage in those villages." He leaned forward. "You have the Spring Maiden on your side, don't you?" Raven smiled, and looked ahead with a laugh. The light on the table died, casting the room into darkness.

"What makes you think I would tell you that, traitor?" Qrow frowned as Raven disappeared into the portal.

Qrow looked back at the sound of glass hitting the floor, and a woman gasp. The waitress from before stood at the top of the stairs, staring in shock and horror at where Raven had been, several drinks shattered at her feet. Qrow grabbed his glass, and held it up, catching the waitresses attention.

"Mind getting me another?" he asked.

* * *

She rested her head against the bus window, her eyes half lidded as she stared out at the city. The yellow city lights stared back at her. Her hands rested in her lap, her metallic arm cold against her pant leg. She craned her head, looking at the rest of the bus.

It was empty, it usually was at this time at night, especially for this part of town. She looked down at her lap, flexing her metallic fingers. This felt wrong; it was such a heavy weight on her. She looked up as the bus slowed, hearing the engine hiss as it stopped. The bus door opened, and Yang mumbled a 'thanks' as she stepped off it.

She wrapped her jacket closer as the snow drifted around her. She trudged through the snow, the yellow lights of the buildings slowly winking out. She shoved her hands into her jacket pockets, walking past the worn down buildings, feeling eyes watching her as she walked.

She took a turn down an alley, nodding at the homeless huddled around a fire. She took a turn down another alley, and then another, her body on autopilot as she made her way through the labyrinth. Anxiety nipped at her stomach as the Hole came into view. People lay groaning in front of the entrance, puddles of blood in the snow. She stepped around them, grasping the railing as she descended into the darkness.


	59. Heavy

**TW: Suicide**

She groaned, rubbing her temples, her head pounding, her throat parched. Dust damn it, that red always did this. Willow leaned back in her chair, the plush cushion soft against her neck. She lowered her hands, opening her eyes, looking out the window.

Snow was falling gently, coating the topiary like sugar. She reached over to the coffee table next to her chair, grabbing her glass and snake head vase. She felt her stomach grumble as she poured herself a drink; Grunhilda should be here soon with her breakfast. She set the vase down on the table, turning back to her gardens. She sipped from her glass; the red tart and yet bitter.

She heard the door squeak open and she raised a hand.

"Set it next to the vase," she said. She heard the door close. She turned in her seat, looking behind her. Weiss was standing at the entrance, looking at the floor, rubbing her wrists. Willow cocked her head to the side. "Weiss? Did you need something?" Weiss walked forward, her eyes on the floor.

"I haven't seen you in a while, Mother. I wanted to visit."

"I see." She turned back to the gardens. "I know it must be rather boring, but come, take a seat." She sipped from her glass as Weiss came over, sitting in the plush chair on the other side of the coffee table. Willow looked down at her drink, moving the glass around gently, watching the red wine move with the motion. "What kind do you like?"

"Hm?" Willow looked over at her daughter.

"Wine, honey. What kind?" Weiss rubbed her wrist, looking at the vase before answering.

"Red," she said. Willow smiled.

"At least I got something right with you." She set her drink on the table, leaning down and grabbing a second glass. She poured a small amount into it before handing it to Weiss, grabbing her own glass again. "Might be a bit stronger then what you usually drink." She said. Weiss eyed the wine for a moment before taking a sip. She grimaced as she swallowed, and set the glass back down on the table. "Too bitter?"

"A bit. I like my reds a little sweeter." She said. Willow chuckled.

"You might be a woman now, but you still have a young girls palete." She looked back out the window. "Give it time, Weiss. You'll learn to love the bitterness like I have."

She glanced back as the door opened. An older woman hurried in, carrying a tray. She set it down on the table between their glasses, bowed, and hurried off. Willow felt her mouth water as she looked at the food on the tray; smoked meats, sharp cheeses, and fresh fruit, a jug of icy water as well. She reached for a slice of bauchspeck before stopping, looking over at Weiss. Weiss was looking at the food longingly.

"Do you want any?" she asked. Weiss looked up at her, the hungry look in her eye disappearing. Weiss shook her head.

"No, no, I'm… I already ate," she said. Willow thought she heard Weiss' stomach grumble. She grabbed another glass, and filled it with water. She set her wine next to the tray of food, drinking from her water. The winds were picking up, the snow falling harder, covering her plants like a blanket. She looked down at the ice in her drink.

"How have you been feeling?" Willow asked. She heard Weiss shift in her chair, and looked over at her. Weiss was looking over at the wall, a hand on her wrist.

"I'm doing okay, mother."

"You sure? " Weiss didn't answer. Willow squinted as she looked at Weiss' wrist, did… did her sleeves have red stains? Willow sighed, taking another sip. "Did you enjoy your time at Beacon?" she asked.

"It was nice."

"It's been a long time since I've been to Vale." She offered Weiss a smile. "I'd like to see it again someday." Weiss looked back at her. "You, me, your brother." Willow smiled as she thought of the forests in Vale; at the multitude of colors when autumn came. "I think it would be fun."

"And Father?" Weiss asked. Willow frowned.

"Why would he be there." She leaned back in her chair. "Maybe we can get Winter to come with us. While she's on shore leave." She sighed. "I think it would be nice, to have you all together again." She looked out the window, at the winter winds blowing. "I haven't seen Winter in so long."

"You… you miss her?" Weiss asked. Willow looked over at her.

"Of course I miss her. She's my daughter." She set her glass down on the table, sighing. "I know I haven't always been the best mother to you three. I know I've failed, and made a lot of mistakes." She looked over at the glass of red wine. "I know why Winter doesn't talk to me." She looked back at her daughter, a stab of guilt in her heart as she looked at the scar on her eye. "But that doesn't mean I don't love you three."

Weiss' eyes watered, and she turned away to wipe at them. Willow laughed a little.

"You don't have to hide your tears from me," she said.

"I'm sorry, mother."

"There's nothing for you to be sorry for." Willow said. Weiss sniffed, and got up from her seat. Willow's expression fell as she watched her daughter leave. The door clicked shut behind Weiss. She turned back in her seat, staring out at her snow covered gardens. She reached for an orange wedge, savoring the juice as it popped in her mouth as she bit into it. She swallowed, and looked at the table, at the two glasses.

She grabbed the glass of water, and took a drink from it.

* * *

He hummed to himself as he ran his finger over the spines of the books. So many to choose from, so little time. He perked up as he heard the library door open. He smiled as Weiss entered, closing and leaning against the door.

"Good afternoon, sister. What brings you down here?" he asked.

"Just checking in, seeing what my little brother was doing." He smiled; it felt nice being called 'brother'. He looked over at the table next to the couch, at the chess board there. He looked back at Weiss.

"Would you care to play a game, dear sister? It has been such a long time since I've had a worthy opponent." Weiss looked over at the chess board.

"I'm a little rusty," she said.

"I'll keep that in mind," he said.

He set the board, taking the black pieces for himself. He sat on the couch, patting the spot next to him. Weiss sat down, her hands in her lap. He motioned towards the board.

"Age before beauty, sister." Weiss looked at the board, a finger going to her chin. She moved a pawn forward. Whitley smirked, plotting out his moves. He moved a piece. "Do you know what I love about games like this?" he asked. Weiss moved another piece.

"The thinking part?" Whitley moved his next piece.

"That's a part of it for sure." Weiss moved the piece he expected her to move. He hid his smile. His knight leapt forth, claiming Weiss' piece. Weiss frowned. "But it's more than just that." Weiss thought for a moment before moving a new pawn onto the field. Just as he expected. "Outthinking, outwitting you opponent is fun for sure." He claimed another of her pieces. "But I like to view games like this as being a bit like life." Weiss frowned, going on the offensive. So predictable. "Everyone has a part to play." Another piece claimed. "You have the unwitting pawns, willing to die for something grander then them." Another piece. "Perhaps they had been fooled into thinking their lives had meaning under this cause, or just forced into it." A growl of annoyance from Weiss as she studied the board.

"Your knights and bishops, our Hunters and members of the Fayths. Striving to keep civility and order in the chaos of this world, backing the pawns in whatever new goal they fling themselves into." He allowed himself to smirk as Weiss took the bait, claiming one of his sacrificial units. "They allow themselves to think that they have control over themselves, that their noble goals and causes are their own, that they are different from the mindless drones that pawns are."

Weiss whipped her queen out, claiming one of his knights. He cocked an eyebrow; that was unexpected. No matter.

"Have I told you what my favorite piece is?" he asked. Weiss shook her head, moving her queen. "I know many are fond of the queen, and for good reason." He moved a piece. "She's one of the most versatile members on the board, and so powerful." Weiss moved her queen. "But despite that, she's not that much different from any of the other pieces." He moved his next piece. "She's just another servant for a greater power." Whitley narrowed his eyes as Weiss moved her queen into the spot he wanted. "My favorite is the king." He moved into checkmate, smirking. "For without him, there would be no cause worth dying for, and there would be no game."

Whitley rested his hands in his lap, smirking at Weiss. Weiss sighed, annoyed.

"That was fun, Weiss. You had some new tricks up your sleeve. I think you might be able to beat me one of these days." He set the chess board back to its original position. "Do you want to play again?"

"No thank you," Weiss said. Whitley pouted slightly; Weiss was always his favorite opponent. Weiss got from the seat, going to the door. Whitley waved at her as she opened the door.

"I look forward to our next match." He said. Weiss looked away, and shut the door.

* * *

The kitchen was bustling, cooks and the other butlers and maids running around as they prepped dinner. Klein set his knife to the side, his eyes burning from chopping so many onions. He turned around, his eyebrows raising in surprise. He smiled at Weiss, looking up at her.

"Snowflake, what are you doing here?" he asked. Weiss had her arms behind her back.

"I just wanted to visit, see how dinner was coming." He motioned over to the cooks as they simmered the gravy.

"It'll be ready in a bit." He smiled at her. "It's schnitzel and red cabbage; your favorite." Weiss smiled before embracing him. He patted her on the back.

"Thank you, Klein." Weiss said. "You're always so thoughtful." She broke the hug, her arms going behind her back. She smiled at him again. "I'll leave you be, you're awfully busy," she said. He nodded, turning back to his onions, hearing Weiss as she walked away. He cocked his head to the side, frowning. Where did his knife go?

* * *

Weiss opened the door to her room, closing her door and setting the knife on her nightstand. She could see Mirror from the corner of her eye as she went to one of her bookshelves, pulling a notebook free and ripping out a page.

"Weiss," Mirror said. Weiss went to her table, picking up a pen. She could hear Mirror tapping against the glass. "Weiss!" Weiss felt her eyes water as she began to write, her vision blurring, tears dripping onto the note. "Weiss! Stop!"

She rose from the table, leaving the note and the pen. She went to the nightstand. She stared down at the knife, and sniffed.

"Weiss, don't do this." She felt her hands tremble as she raised them, pulling her tiara free. She set it down next to the knife, shaking her hair out. Mirror started to pound on the glass. "Weiss! I was wrong! I was wrong! People love you! Mother, she… she can help us! Whitley can help us! Yang is back in Vale, we can go to her!"

Weiss picked up the knife, wiping the onion juice from it with her sleeve. The blade shook in her unsteady hands, she closed her eyes, the tears running down. Mirror's pounding grew louder, more frantic as she placed the shaking blade over her heart. She took a deep breath, and exhaled. She shook her head.

"That's right, Weiss, you don't have to do this. Think about how much it would hurt them. How much it would hurt Blake, if she-"

Weiss gasped, her eyes shooting open as she stabbed the blade into her stomach. She dropped to her knees, gasping in pain, feeling blood start to soak into her dress. She ignored Mirror's screams as she plunged the knife deeper, groaning in pain, the blood running down her legs. Her breathing was growing ragged, pain her only sensation.

She yanked the blade free with a cry, blood gushing out. She could hardly breathe, her body growing cold, her skin clammy as she trembled. Her soul screamed, begging to let her aura stop her. Weiss' vision darkened; she coughed, a copper taste filling her mouth as she slumped over. She felt parts of her body twitch as she lay on the cold floor, blood pooling around her. She saw Mirror screaming, crying, frantically beating at the glass. She coughed again, blood drooling down her chin.

 _i… i hope… i hope i see you again… in my next life_

* * *

Willow made her way through the house, glancing around at the furnishings; it had been some time since she had been down this way. She stopped in front of Weiss' door, hesitating before gently knocking on it. No answer. She frowned, and knocked a little harder. No answer. She grabbed the door handle, opening it slightly.

"Weiss? Weiss, are yo-"

Willow's eyes widened, her lip quivering as she fell to her knees, the door swinging open. A wail ripped from her lips as Weiss stared at her with glazed over eyes.


	60. Menagerie

**I'm gonna see if I can get through this chapter and the next in this week.**

The gangway lowered and Sun smiled as he walked down, taking in the sight before him. Smaller ships were in port, a multitude of voices talking over one another. Vendors were situated near the ships, freshly caught fish, and various tropical fruits for sale. The sun was beating down, a salty, fishy scent in the air. He grimaced slightly at how packed it was; people were huddled around vendors, people filling out of boats, almost every part of the port filled with people. He cocked his head to the side, squinting as he looked at the crowds, at the wolf tails, bird beaks, spider legs, and lizard horns. Where… where all of these people Faunus?

He looked at Blake as they stepped off the gangway, feeling Neptune get squished next to him as people walked past them.

"Lot of Faunus here," Sun said. Blake nodded, making her way through the crowd.

"It's our one safe haven. The one place our people can go to and feel safe, like they have a place to belong." Sun cocked an eyebrow.

"What about Vacou? The humans over there don't seem to mind us." Blake glanced at the light blue ribbon tied around her arm.

"The humans there might be okay for now. But the SDC there, they rely on a lot of Faunus labor. Dangerous labor that goes uncompensated. Here, they don't have to worry about any of that. No Schnee Dust Company, no fear that the humans they run into next could kill them just for being who they are." Sun looked at the crowd, noticing the wary, and occasionally dirty looks being shot at Neptune. He frowned, and wrapped his tail around him, pulling him in close.

Sun grunted as a man carrying coconuts shoved past him.

"Is it always this crowded?" Neptune asked. Blake nodded, stepping around a woman carrying a fish.

"When you try to squeeze an entire race of people onto a tiny island that's two thirds desert, it tends to get a little crowded." Sun looked at Blake in disbelief, glancing at Neptune to make sure he heard her right. Neptune was looking at her in confusion.

"Two-thirds desert? Why not set up villages out there? Vacou did it." Neptune said.

"Yeah! The desert's freaking awesome!" Sun said. Blake sighed.

"It's not like back in Vacou. The desert here is dangerous." Blake said. Sun snorted.

"Uh, have you been to Vacou? Do you have any idea how big the Sandworms in the Blue Sands get?" he asked. Blake rolled her eyes.

"Does Vacou have Deathstalkers the size of mountains? King Taijitu's several kilometers long? Sobek's in every drop of water? Tsuchigumo's-"

"All right, all right, you've made your point." Sun said, waving his hand.

"That's pretty shitty," Neptune said. Blake looked back at them. "To give all your people this much land and most of it can't be used." Blake shrugged, stepping around people as they climbed a hill.

"We've made the best of what we have." She said. She stopped at the top of the hill, and Sun whistled, resting his hands on his hips as he looked out. A mountain lay off in the distance, palm tree forests filling the space between. Wooden buildings were situated throughout the forest, dirt roads connecting them all. He saw a large building directly ahead of them at the end of their path. He looked over at Blake, she was smiling, a hint of pride on her face. "This is Kuo Kuana. I was born here."

"It's beautiful," Neptune said. Blake's smile grew, resting a hand on her ribbon as she stared out at the village.

"The humans thought they would break us by giving us this land. That we would come begging for a better deal; that we might give up the rights we fought for if it meant a better place to establish our own land. But we haven't. Kuo Kauna is far from perfect; we don't have the same resources as the Four Kingdoms, and it's a constant reminder that we're nothing but second class citizens in the rest of the world. But we've made a place for ourselves. A home for the Faunus. Our _Menagarieaus_." Sun cocked his head to the side.

"I thought it was Menagerie?" Blake shook her head.

"In Common. But not in Ishvi."

"Huh. Neat." Neptune cleared his throat, and Sun looked over at him.

"You were born here, right? Can you see your house from here, Blake? Which one is it?" Blake gave them a look before pointing at the large building at the end of their path. Sun's eyes widened as realization dawned on him. Neptune turned to Blake, pointing at her.

"You're-!" Blake nodded, putting a hand to her lips, hiding her smile.

* * *

Anxiety nipped at her gut as she neared her house, Neptune and Sun trailing behind her. She stopped before they reached the stairs, rubbing her arm.

"What's wrong?" Sun asked. She looked up at the house.

Her father's face as he snapped at her, her parent's voices as they called out for her. She shook her head.

"I haven't seen my parents in almost seven years. I… I kinda left on bad terms," she said.

"If it's been that long, I'm sure they've gotten over it. They must miss you," Neptune said. Blake said nothing, and took a breath. She began to climb the stairs. Guards stood next to the front door, spears in hand.

" _Do you have an appointment with the Chieftain_?" one of the guards asked. Blake shook her head.

" _I_ …" she took a deep breath, calming her nerves. " _My name is Hōzuki Blake. I am the daughter of the Chieftain, and I would like an audience with my family._ " The guards looked at each other, before one of them opened the door, and went inside. Blake played with her hands as she waited. Her ears flattened as the door opened, and her mother stepped out.

Her mother stared at her, placing a hand over her mouth. Her mother's face was more wrinkled then she remembered, streaks of gray in her short black hair.

" _Blake?_ " Blake held up a hand, forcing a smile.

" _Hey, mom."_ Kali embraced her, wrapping her arms around her, burying her face into her shoulder. Blake stiffened at the hug, her ears getting flatter.

" _Thank Devi, it is you. My baby girl._ " Blake's ears unflattened, perking up. She felt herself smile, closing her eyes as she hugged her mother.

" _I'm sorry I left_." Blake felt her mother start to stroke her hair.

" _That doesn't matter right now. All that matters, is that you're here_." Kali said. Blake opened her eyes as she heard the door open farther. Her father stood in the doorway, his mouth agape as he stared in shock. Blake hesitated before smiling at her father. He smiled back before embracing her and her mother, laughing.

* * *

Kali sat on her knees at the table, gripping her chai. Blake was looking into her cup, while her two friends were draining their cups, the blonde one refilling his cup once he was done.

" _We saw you in the Vytal Festival,_ " Kali said. Blake looked over at her, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Kali smiled at her. " _You should have seen the look on your father's face when he saw you on the screen._ " Blake looked over at her father. Ghira laughed nervously. " _We were so happy to see you were okay. We had started to give up hope that you were still alive, or that we would ever see you again_."

" _Please, I told you she was fine. No daughter of ours would die out in the wilderness."_ Kali rolled her eyes; memories of all the sleepless nights worrying about their daughter flashing through her mind. Ghira stroked his beard " _The other members of your team, that Ruby and Yang, where they good people?"_ he asked. Blake nodded. Ghira smiled, and exhaled. " _It must have been difficult having the Heiress on your team, I hope this Ruby and Yang made living there easier."_

Kali cocked her head to the side as Neptune shot a look over at Blake. Blake looked down at her drink, and Kali squinted at the blue ribbon around her arm. It… it looked like the same shade of blue the Heiress' clothes had been. Neptune elbowed Sun in the side, before pointing at his cup.

" _So who made this tea? It's really great!_ " Neptune asked. Sun started to drink from his cup, holding up a thumbs up while he drank.

" _I did,_ " Ghira said. Ghira looked Neptune over, cocking an eyebrow. " _Forgive me for asking, but what type of Faunus are you?"_

" _I'm human."_

" _I see. Your Ishvi is impeccable. Not many humans bother learning it._ " Neptune rubbed the back of his head, pointing at Sun with his thumb.

" _Yeah. I learned it when I first met him to try and impress him. Found out he doesn't speak it."_ Kali chuckled; these two seemed like a cute couple. She leaned over to Blake as Ghira continued to talk to Neptune.

" _Who are these two again?_ " she asked. Blake shrugged.

" _Friends I made back in Vale. I kinda ran into them on the boat here_." She looked over as Sun lifted the tea set with his tail, helping himself to his third cup of chai.

" _I like them_." she said.

She looked over at the door as it swung open, a guard walking in. He bowed to Ghira before speaking.

" _My Chief, she's arrived_." Ghira smiled.

" _Good. Send her in, I'm sure she would enjoy a cup of tea after her long trip._ " Kali smiled, taking a sip from her drink; she hadn't seen her in such a long time. Blake's ear twitched as the guard left, and looked over at her.

" _Who's she?_ " Blake asked.

" _Hm_?" Kali lowered her drink to the table. " _Your Aunt Sienna,_ " she said.

* * *

Sienna opened the door to her sister's dining room, her eyebrows raising at who she saw at the table. She smiled as her niece stared at her in shock.

" _Blake. After seeing you were at Beacon, I feared the worst._ " She cocked an eyebrow at the blue haired human and blonde Faunus who sat next to him. " _Who are they?_ " Blake looked over at her father.

" _You two are on speaking terms again_?" Blake asked. Ghira nodded.

" _We are. I may not agree with your aunt's methods, but she has our people's best interest at heart._ " He looked over at her, motioning to the duo with his hand. " _These two are Blake's friends, she brought them with her_ ," he said. Sienna snorted in displeasure at the two before walking over to her sister's side, sitting next to her. Kali began to pour her a cup as she situated herself. The Faunus cocked his head to the side, looking at her, confused.

" _So like, who are you_?" the human asked. Sienna was taken back; a human who knew her language? Ghira cleared his throat, the human and Faunus looking over at him.

"Sun, Neptune, this is Sienna Khan. High Leader of the White Fang."

Sun and Neptune bolted upright, Neptune stepping away from the table.

"The White Fang?!" Sun shouted. Sun looked over at Blake. "Why aren't you freaking out, Blake?!" Blake opened and closed her mouth before sighing. She took her jacket off, Sun's draw dropping and Neptune's eyes widening as they stared at the emblem burned into her skin.

"Do you two remember how I said I've done things that I'm not proud of?"

"Woah, woah, woah, hold up, time out." Sun motioned with his hands as he spoke, Neptune still staring at Blake in shock. "You mean to tell me you've been White Fang this entire time? Then why were you trying to stop them while in Vale? Did you help attack your own school?"

Sienna stared at the emblem; only the Vale branch did that. She looked over at her sister; she had a hand to her mouth, staring at the emblem. Sienna looked over at Neptune, narrowing her eyes.

"Human," he looked over at her. "What's Blake's last name?"

"Uh, its… uh." He thought for a moment. "Belladonna?" Sienna sneered; she should have known. She looked over at her niece. Blake wouldn't meet her gaze. Sienna rose to her feet, walking over to Blake.

"You're the Belladonna from Adam's reports, aren't you?" she asked. Blake said nothing, her ears pinned back. She nodded weakly. Sienna dropped to her knees, hugging her niece, nuzzling the back of her head. "I'm so sorry, Blake."

"Belladonna?" Kali asked. Sienna looked up at her sister. Ghira and Kali were looking at her in confusion. "What are you talking about, Sienna?" Sienna looked down at her niece. Blake looked up at her before taking a deep breath. She nodded her head. Sienna looked over at them.

"Around the time that Blake left, Adam Taurus gained a new member in his branch, a girl who went by Belladonna. I didn't think anything of it then, he was gaining a lot of new recruits around that time. He mentioned her in several of his more high profile incidents throughout the years; his assassination of Umber Winchester, an attack on a SDC mining facility. She stopped appearing in them around the time his branch stopped sending in reports, the last one being that she had deserted after an SDC train bombing." Sienna felt Blake tremble, and tightened her grip around her. She looked over at Sun and Neptune. "I'm sure the media has told you a lot of lies about our organization. But I assure you, we want nothing more than the betterment of our people." She looked over at Kali and Ghira. "Had I known, I would have stepped in, and brought her home."

Kali and Ghira got up, joining her, hugging their daughter. Blake hiccuped, her hair falling, obscuring her face as she cried.

"Then… what about the White Fang that attacked Beacon?" Neptune asked. Blake shook her head, looking up at them.

"That wasn't the real White Fang. That wasn't the organization my family made. That was Adam." Blake's lip twitched, the tears streaming as she snarled. "He's the one responsible for everything bad that happened there; the shootout at the docks, the highway attack, the Breach. Everything."

Sun rubbed the back of his head, Neptune resting his hands in his coat pockets. Blake hiccuped again, wiping at her tears. Sienna looked over at Ghira.

"Adam is actually why I came by." She said. Blake's ears perked up. "His attack on Beacon has led to a large amount of distrust of the Faunus and our organization. I've tried organizing relief efforts; offering ships to help in transporting Faunus refugees to Vacou or Menagarie, but many of the Faunus are wary of us now, the Atlesian's especially." Sienna broke free of the hug, straightening her clothes out. "I am going to summon Adam to our headquarters in Mistral, and there he will stand trial for his crimes against the Faunus." She smirked. "And I will kill him myself, when I find him guilty." She saw a ghost of a smile on Blake's face.

She turned away from her family, walking past Sun and Neptune. She held up a hand as she left.

"The trial will be soon, I figured it best to deliver this message in person due to the nature of it. I don't want any of Adam's followers learning of it and attempting to interfere. My two most trusted advisors, the Albain twins, are on their way to help co-ordinate the White Fang activities here." She stopped at the door, and looked back at her family. She smiled at them.

" _I'm glad you're back with us, Blake._ "

Blake smiled back at her, wiping her tears away and nodding.

* * *

She looked up at the sign of the ryokan; the Flowering Spring. If her prey was going this way, she would have stopped here.

Tyrian opened the door, smiling at the man behind the counter. The man hesitated before smiling back at her. She approached the desk, her smile not wavering. The man laughed nervously when she stopped at the desk.

"H-hello, welcome to the Flowering Spring. My name is Kuro, do you need anything?" Tyrian reached into her coat pocket, pulling out her scroll.

"I was hoping you could help me find someone," she said. She held up the scroll. He looked at the picture as she spoke. "I'm a Hunter you see, and she's wanted by my employer. She's a dangerous individual." Kuro glanced at her, distrust etched on his face. Kuro rested his hands on his desk, leaning forward, she smirked at the brave face he was putting on.

"I haven't seen her. And I want you to leave."

Tyrian leaned forward, grabbing his hand, inhaling his scent. He jerked his hand back in shock. She closed her eyes; the smell of firewood smoke, damp clothes, masked by a floral soap. She opened her eyes, and smiled at him.

"You lied to me," she said.

Kuro tried to step back, a strangled gasp coming from him as her tail shot out, wrapping around his throat. He clawed at her tail, gasping for air, tears welling in his eyes. Tyrian's smile grew a her tail tightened around him.

"Do you know what my favorite part of strangulation is?" Kuro dug his nails into her tail, clawing marks into her. She felt a chill go down her back, and held back the urge to moan at the pain. "It's watching your eyes. As the blood vessels begin to," she made a _pop_ sound with her lips, a warmth growing in her belly as the whites of his eyes began to turn red. She feigned disapproval as his cheeks began to turn purple. "But I know not everyone enjoys being strangled, so I'll ask again." She loosened her tail, Kuro sucking in air in ragged breaths. "Do you know where she is?" Kuro nodded.

Tyrian smiled, sliding her tail off of him, trailing her stinger across his face like a lovers finger. He massaged his throat, coughing, gasping for air.

"S-she's heading for Mistral City. Taking the Old Road. She left yesterday. Had a few friends with her."

Tyrian bit her lip; oooo, friends with her. How fun. She grabbed his shoulders, enjoying his startled cry. She trailed a finger up his chin, gripping his shoulder, her tail trailing down his back.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Blood spurted onto her face as her stinger exploded from his chest. She felt him go limp, and licked the blood off her lips as she pulled out of him. His body slumped onto the counter, blood dripping down and onto the floor. She giggled as she turned to leave, wiping the blood off her face, and licking it off her fingers.

 **Next up is Yang's 2nd original chapter.**


	61. Pain

**And here's Yang's 2nd original chapter.**

Yang gripped the rail as she descended, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. The all too familiar sound of people cheering, pained grunts, and heavy punches growing louder and louder the further down she went. She saw a light at the end of the darkness, and squinted, her eyes hurting as she neared it.

She reached the end of the stairs, stepping into the light, blinking as her eyes adjusted. A crowd of people had formed a circle, cheering and shouting, pained grunting coming from inside the circle. People sat at the bar, sipping their drinks, and watching the ring, Lien lying on the counter. The other fighters stood off to the side, watching the crowd. A cheer went through the crowd as a man screamed in pain; Yang grimaced at the sound of his arm breaking. Annoyed sighs came from the bar. The crowd began to disperse, a few staring at her, recognition dawning on their faces. Other members of the crowd noticed them, and looked over at her too, some beginning to smile.

"Little Sun Dragon," one said. One started to laugh.

"Never thought I'd see you in here again." Yang stretched her neck.

"I needed to let off some steam." She said. She saw the people at the bar start talking to one another, Lien exchanging hands, eying her as they placed their bets. Yang took her jacket off, tossing it aside. She hid her disgust at the cheer, the call for her to take more off, their eyes as they went to her cleavage. She flexed the fingers of her robotic arm, hearing the mechanisms whirl. She looked over at them. "Just gonna stare or am I gonna fight someone?"

Yang turned her head as she saw one of the fighters shove his way through the crowd. A giant of a man, hair covering most of his body, a bear snout where his nose and mouth should have been.

"I'll fight ya, Sun Dragon," he said, his voice a rumble. The Bear smirked. "You looked awfully friendly with that Schnee back in the Vytal Tournament." The Bear cracked his knuckles. "Can't beat a Schnee's face in, but you'll be the next best thing." Yang snarled, marching up, the crowd of people forming a circle around them.

"Bring it limp dick," she spat.

The Bear charged at her with a yell, she smirked, leaping forward. Her foot slammed into his chest, savoring his grunt of pain, before backflipping off, her foot slamming into his chin. She landed nimbly on her feet, smirking at him, beckoning him over as he rubbed his chin. He growled, and charged her. She smirked, catching his punch, yanking him forward, throwing an uppercut into his gut. She let his arm go, her arm shooting forward, slamming into his gut several times. She leapt up, grabbing his head, and slamming her knee into his nose.

He staggered back with a grunt, blood running down his lip, his nose broken. He wiped at his lip before swinging at her with a yell. She sidestepped, throwing several jabs into his side, before swinging her leg, hitting the back of his knee. He crumpled to the floor with a grunt. She swung at him, smirking. He whirled, catching her fist, his other fist shooting up, slamming into her elbow, her robotic arm ripping off.

Yang's eyes shot wide as the world around her turned to flames. The Ursa stood before her, her bloody arm in its hands, it muzzle caked in her blood, bits of her flesh caught in its teeth. Yang screamed, falling to the ground, scrambling away, screaming.

She felt herself get flung into the air, grunting as she hit the hard ground. She groaned, closing her eyes, her world spinning, flames and darkness filling her mind. She staggered to her feet, her head swimming as her eyes opened. She yelled as a silver object slammed into her face, knocking her back. She grunted as she was hit, staggering back with each strike. She saw a glint of silver, and ducked low, bolting past the figure attacking her. She glanced back, her breath hitching; the Bear had her arm. He smirked, lumbering after her.

She raised her fist, trying to slow her breathing, her body trembling. He tossed her arm aside, raising his fists, a murderous glint in his eyes. She swung at him with a yell, gasping as he caught fist. Stars exploded in her vision as his elbow slammed into her face. She screamed as she was flung forward, his foot slamming into her back as she was thrown. She hit the ground, groaning in pain. She tried to get up, and yelped as she felt him grab her head.

Her head slammed into the concrete floor, her skull feeling like it was going to crack open. She felt blood run down her face, her vision fuzzy as he lifted her head up again.

"Let's see how you like being beaten once you're down," the Bear growled. She opened her mouth to respond-

-and bit her tongue as her head slammed into the concrete. Blood filled her mouth, her tongue going numb. She felt her head get lifted up, her blood stained hair falling in her eyes, before slamming down, her world going dark.

Yang's body felt numb, a groan escaping her lips as her eyes opened. She lifted her head from the red snow. She blinked, her vision starting to clear up. The buildings around her looked black in the darkness, spots of blood in the white snow. She shivered, realizing her jacket was missing. She sat up, goosebumps running across her body, her breath coming out in a white mist. She looked down at her stump, her expression falling as a phantom pain shot through her. She glanced around her in the snow, sighing; her arm was gone too. She got to her feet, clutching her head as a dizzy spell hit her. She felt dried blood caked on her face, and looked down at her tank top to see specs of blood on it. She looked back at the Hole, sighed, and wrapped her arm around her torso as she left.

The snow fell around her, coating her shoulders, sticking in her hair, chilling her. She wandered through the maze of alleyways, nodding at the homeless as they shot pitiful glances in her direction. The familiar sight of the yellow city lights gave her a small amount of comfort. She reached the bus stop, and sat down, her body aching, her head pounding. She shivered, rubbing her torso, her teeth chattering.

The bus arrived a few minutes later, steam hissing into the air as it stopped in front of her. She got to her feet as the doors slid open, her body stiff, her fingers and feet starting to feel numb. The bus interior was dark, the only light the yellow lights of the city filtering through the window. She sat down in the black chair, rubbing herself, glad for the warmth. The bus started to move, and she leaned back, closing her eyes, resting her head against the window as he body thawed out.

"How are things going? Glad to be back home from Atlas?" Yang opened her eyes, looking into the shadows of the bus. There were two men in white suits sitting off to the side across from her, the yellow lights of the city revealing their faces for brief moments as they sat in the shadows.

"It's fucking terrible," one said. She saw him sneer as the lights flashed over him. "I get back home after that Fall of Beacon shit, and know what I find? My girlfriends some fucking cripple, lost her leg to a Grimm." The man crossed his legs, motioning with his hand. "Every day when I get back home, she's crying in bed; she doesn't cook, she doesn't clean, she doesn't do a fucking thing around the house. Leaves all of it to me even though I'm the one out working." He snorted. "Dumb cunt won't even let me get a good night's rest either; keeps waking me up every night to complain about some nightmare she had or some shit."

"Jeez. That's rough." The other man rested a hand on his chin. "Thought about dumping her? Man like you needs a fitting woman." He laughed. "Can you imagine meeting Jacques with a girl like that, you'd be the embarrassment of the SDC."

"Tell me about it." The man smirked. "That daughter of his, that White or whatever, now there's a girl I wouldn't mind fucking. That pretty face is ruined by that scar of hers but I guess you don't need to be looking at her face when you have her bent over." The other man chuckled.

"Shut up," Yang said. They looked over at her, the one with the girlfriend sneering as he looked at her.

"Got something to say, cripple?" he asked. Yang blinked, the other businessman's mouth parting as he looked at her eyes.

"I said, shut up. You have no idea what your girlfriend is going through, and your selfish ass can't even be bothered to help her." She gave them a coy look. "And speaking from experience, you're not the type of person Weiss would fuck."

"Do you have a death wish, bitch?" The man shouted, getting to his feet.

Yang's lip twitched into a smile as she rose from her seat.

The bus slowed to a stop, steam wafting as the doors opened. Yang shook the blood off her hand as she stepped off the bus. The night air stung her, the cold wrapping around her as the bus left. She looked around, trying to get her bearings. None of the buildings had lights on, the streets lacking streetlamps, the Wall looming over them a short distance away.

She started to walk down the street, shivering, trembling. It couldn't be too far away. The snow started to fall harder, the cold chilling her to the bone. She felt relief as those familiar neon lights appeared, and quickened her pace.

There was no line, the bouncer cocking an eyebrow as she went in. Warmth hit her, her numbed body starting to tingle.

The dark crowd on the dance floor was the smallest she had seen it, only one woman on one of the crystal pillars. The bear dj was missing, some man she didn't know at the dj stand. The bass was pounding, but it didn't seem as loud as she remembered. Red and white neon lights flashed throughout the club, and she actually smiled when she looked over at the bar. A burly man with a beard sat there, two Gothic Lolita's on either side of him, all of them sipping from their martini's as they watched the dancing crowd.

She made her way over to them, her body still trembling as she took the seat next to Miltia. The bartender glanced at her stump, cleaning a glass.

"Strawberry sunrise, please. Make it a double." The bartender started mixing her drink. She saw Junior turn in his seat, and heard him inhale sharply when he saw her.

"Sweet cheeks? The hell you doing here?" She turned to face him. He grimaced, looking at her stump. His eyes darted to the blood on her hand, her face, and the melting snow coating her. "The hell happened to you? You look like shit," he said. The bartender set her drink on the counter. She grabbed the glass, downing it like a shot. She shuddered as the liquor warmed her.

"I've had a shitty day, Junior. I can't really go home, and this is the only other place I thought I could go to." Junior glanced at her stump before grunting, turning back to the crowd. Yang tapped on the counter, the bartender nodded, and started mixing her another. She looked at the crowd. "Slow day?"

"It's like, three in the morning, most of the crowd's gone," Miltia said. The bartender set her drink on the counter. She downed it, some of it running down her chin. She set it down, tapping on the counter. The bartender nodded, fixing her third.

"I mean, it has been a little bit slower. We aren't getting as many Faunus customers due to that curfew," Melanie said. The bartender set her drink down. Junior looked over at her as she chugged it.

"Taking it a little fast there, aren't you?" She set the drink down, shuddering, her head feeling fuzzy. She tapped the counter. The bartender nodded.

"I know my limits," Yang said. She grabbed the glass when he set it down, draining it, most of it spilling onto her as she chugged it. She dropped the glass, a wave of nausea hitting her. She gagged, vomit at the back of her throat., her hand going to her mouth. She fell from the bar stool, retching onto the floor, her vomit a bright orange.

"Ah fuck. Melanie, go get the mop." Yang looked up, her eyes watering. Junior motioned at the bartender to cut her off. She gagged, retching again. She heard heels clicking, and an annoyed groan as Melanie walked off. "Miltia, get her cleaned up."

"Fiiiine," Miltia said, annoyed.

Miltia grabbed her, lifting her up with a grunt. Yang groaned, her stomach doing flips as Miltia dragged her to the bathroom. Yang's nose wrinkled as the rank odor hit her. They stopped in front of the graffiti covered sink.

"Sit," Miltia said. Yang grimaced at the sink counter, swallowing back bile as a wave of nausea hit her again. She hopped onto the counter, situating herself in front of Miltia. Miltia grabbed a few paper towels, turning on one of the sinks, running the towels under the water. Miltia stood in front of her, grasping her head and yanking it down to her eye level. The cloth was cool, damp, as Miltia dabbed it at her lips and chin, wiping away the vomit. She tossed it in a trash bin before grabbing one of the other paper towels, and dampening it as well. She stood in front of Yang again, running the cool towel against her face, the cloth turning red. Yang hissed as Miltia dabbed it on her forehead. Miltia stepped back, cocking her head to the side as she looked Yang over. She tossed the bloody towel in the bin, and leaned against the counter, crossing her arms.

"Like, I don't really care, but what happened?"

"Which part?" Yang asked. Miltia shrugged.

"Whatever you wanna say." Miltia said. Yang motioned to her forehead.

"Lost a fight," she said. Miltia snorted.

"Yeah, no duh." She started to inspect her nails. "So like, did you get into a fight at home?" Yang looked down, and sighed, her shoulder's slumping.

"Yeah," she said.

"I know you don't care, but, I know what that's like." Yang looked over at her. Miltia kept her gaze on her immaculate crimson nails. "My sister's wasn't the brightest when we were kids, and that made my dad pretty mad when we were younger." Miltia snorted. "So one day I had enough, and took my sister and left. Junior found us, and he kinda raised us from then on."

Yang gripped the counter, unsure of what to say. Miltia stopped looking at her nail, crossing her arms again.

"I… I didn't get this at home. I left because I got into an argument with my dad." She motioned to her head again. "I got this at the Hole." Yang said. Miltia said nothing for a moment.

"Why were you there?" she asked. She shot a glance at her stump. "They let you fight?"

"I had a prosthetic but…" Yang rubbed the end of her stump. "I kinda lost it in my fight." Yang sighed. "I kinda grew up down there. My dad didn't have a job, and he didn't really take care of me. My uncle helped out sometimes but he mostly focused on my sister. I learned how to fight down there, and used the money I earned to pay the bills and crap until my dad got back on his feet." Miltia shook her head. She looked up at Yang.

"You're stomach's messed up right now so," she held up a hand, pretending to hold a cup. Miltia smiled at her. "To crappy dads." Yang laughed gently, shaking her head before making the same gestur, bumping her hand against hers.

"To bad dads."

The sun was starting to break the horizon when her house came into view, casting the house in golden light. Yang exhaled, her breath a pale white mist, and clutched the jacket Junior had given her closer to her body. The snow had stopped falling, coating the dead black trees like a white blanket. She trudged through the snow, and stopped before her front door. She sighed, and opened the door.

Her father was passed out in his chair, Glynda sleeping on the couch. Yang grimaced as she looked at them; this was gonna suck. She shut the door, and quietly made her way to the stairs. She climbed them, and went to her room, flopping down onto her bed. Her sheets were so soft and warm, the mattress like a cloud. She looked up at her nightstand, her expression falling as she looked at the empty space on it. She closed her eyes, rubbing the end of her stump as it itched.

 **It's gonna be a little while until we get back to the canon story. Have Blake's original chapter to do, Winter's, and...hm...who am I mising?**


	62. Light

Her eyes opened slowly, the world coming into focus. Light was streaming through her window, illuminating the blues and whites of her room. Weiss blinked, craning her head. She blinked again, confused. Her mother was slumped on the ground near her, her hair obscuring her face, her form rising and falling gently with each breath.

Weiss sat up, hissing, her hand going to her stomach. She looked down, her cerulean dress was drenched in blood, a hole visible when she raised her hand. Weiss looked at the floor, swallowing as she stared at the blood stains around her, the knife resting several feet away from her.

"Oh thank Dust, you're okay." Weiss looked behind her, Mirror was watching her, smiling, her eyes watering. "Dust damn it, Weiss. Don't scare me like that." She said. Weiss looked over at the knife. "Weiss?" There was a tinge of terror in Mirror's words.

"Why am I alive?" Weiss whispered.

Her mother grunted in her sleep, and Weiss looked back at her. She cocked her head; there were blood stains on her. Weiss staggered to her feet, clutching her stomach, going to her mother's side. She got to her knees, hesitated, and gently shook her mother's shoulder.

Her mother's eyes opened, a mixture of emotions in the icy blue as she looked at Weiss. Weiss gasped in surprise as her mother bolted upright, latching onto her, wrapping her arms around her, nuzzling her face against hers.

"Oh thank Dust, Weiss." She felt her mother tremble, her voice thick with emotion. "Weiss." Her mother's grip tightened. "My little baby girl."

Weiss stared ahead, unable to return the hug.

"Mother? Why…" She felt her mother clutch her tighter. Weiss' vision grew fuzzy.

 _why didn't you let me die_

* * *

Willow couldn't breathe, her body feeling numb, her body trembling as she stared at her daughter. Blood stained her dress, a knife lay next to her, blood running from her lips as her empty eyes stared at her, unblinking.

 _T-this isn't real, this can't be real_

 _m-my Weiss_

 _no, no, no, No, No, NO!_

"WEISS!" Willow ran to her, scooping her into her arms, eyes darting around as she frantically looked for the source of the bleeding. Weiss' head rolled limply, her chest raising and falling slightly, her breathing slow and labored. There. Willow put her hand over the stab wound in her abdomen, applying pressure, grimacing as the blood soaked into her hand.

 _Dust, please._

Willow closed her eyes, straining. She heard the glyph materialize beneath her, and opened her eyes. It glowed a bright green, the caduceus spinning. Willow grit her teeth, the glyph spinning slowly, flickering, a light blue glow beginning to emanate from Weiss. Sweat began to drip down her face, struggling to keep Weiss in her arms, her strength being sapped away. Willow's breath hitched as the glyph started to slow, the blue light around Weiss flickering, fading.

 _You can't have her_

Willow squeezed her eyes shut, forcing every ounce of her strength, every fiber of her soul into the glyph. She gnashed her teeth, the sweat coating her, her body feeling like lead.

 _I already lost Winter_

A green light glowed bright beneath her, harsh even with her eyes squeezed shut.

 _I can't lose Weiss!_

She felt her aura draining, the green glow shining brighter. She opened her eyes, the glyph spinning faster and faster, the blue light around Weiss growing brighter and brighter, nearly blinding her. She felt the blood stop flowing between her fingers, the flesh knitting itself together beneath her fingertips. She couldn't smile, every muscle screaming in pain. She kept the glyph going, her arms shaking as she held Weiss. Color slowly returned to Weiss' face, going from a deathly white to her usual pale cream complexion. Her breathing started to become more even, less labored. Weiss' eyes closed, a murmur coming from her lips.

Willow let out a cry as the glyph shattered, Weiss falling from her arms. Willow slumped to the ground, struggling to breath, unable to move, her vision hazy. She stared at her daughter's peaceful face as her vision darkened.

 _please… be… enough_

* * *

Weiss felt the tears slide down her cheeks as her mother hugged her.

"Why?" Willow asked. Weiss couldn't answer, and looked down at the floor. "Why did you…?" Weiss sniffed, her voice shaky.

"I…I didn't think you would care." Willow started to stroke her hair.

"I meant what I said. You're my daughter, Weiss. I love you, no matter what." Weiss trembled, her mother continuing to hold her and stroke her hair.

"Why?" Weiss hiccupped, closing her eyes as the tears fell. "Why weren't you there for me?" She started to sob, her trembling worsening. "Why didn't you stop Father? Why did you tell him to stay quiet when he, when he-" She wrapped her arms around her mother, sobbing into her shoulder. Her mother stroked her hair as she sobbed.

"I was weak." Willow said. "I wanted to get away. I wanted to escape your father, I wanted to escape knowing what he did to you." Willow sniffed, resting her head on Weiss' shoulder. "I can never forgive myself for the things I did when you and Winter, and Whitey were younger; I wanted him to be quiet when he… when he… I didn't want to hear you in pain, I didn't want to picture it, I just wanted to go somewhere else, I wanted to forget what my life had become." Weiss' shoulder felt wet, her mother beginning to tremble. "I'm the worst mother on Remnant. I-I couldn't see what my children were going through; what type of mother can't see that her daughter is suffering?" Willow's voice broke. "That scar over your eye, that's not the only one, is it?" Weiss shook her head, and Willow hiccupped.

Willow clutched her closer, both of them trembling as they sobbed into each other's shoulders.

"I'm so sorry, Weiss." Willow said. "I don't deserve a daughter like you. You're so kind, and talented; you deserve the world, not all of this." Weiss sniffed, opening her eyes, her vision blurred by tears.

"Mom?"

"Yes, Weiss?"

"You said you love me no matter what, right?" Willow nodded. Weiss took a breath. "When I was at Beacon, I met a girl. We didn't really get along at first but she…" Weiss sniffed. "I love her, mom."

Willow untangled herself from their hug, holding onto Weiss' shoulder's, looking into her eyes. Her mother's eyes were puffed up and red, tears still running down her face. Willow brushed a stray bang off of Weiss' face, and smiled at her.

"And that's okay, Weiss. I don't care. I just want you to be happy."

Weiss felt fresh tears welling, and let out a choked cry as she embraced her mother. They stayed like that for what felt like eternity; cradling each other, crying. Willow was the first to break the embrace. She smiled at Weiss, sniffing.

"You must be starving. Do you want me to go make you something?" Willow asked. Weiss nodded, ravenous hunger hitting her, her throat dry. "Okay. I'm going to be right back, okay?" Weiss nodded.

Willow got to her feet, pausing next to the knife and picking it up. She went to the door, opened it, and looked back at Weiss before leaving.

"I love you, Weiss. Don't forget that," she said. The door clicked shut and Weiss sighed, looking over the blood on the floor. She staggered to her feet, clutching the railing of her bed as dizziness hit her, her head pounding. Mirror smiled at her, narrowing her eyes.

"Well that was sweet, wasn't it? If only mother had been like this-"

"Shut up," Weiss said, snarling. Mirror cocked an eyebrow, shocked. Mirror shrugged, and her reflection returned to normal. Weiss sighed in relief. She looked down at herself, grimacing at the blood staining her body. She looked over at her bedroom door; a shower might not be too bad right about now.

* * *

Willow exhaled as she entered the kitchen, glad the maids and butlers weren't around. She tossed the blood stained knife into the nearest trash bin, glad it was out of her sight. She played with her hands as she looked around the kitchen; the refrigerators, cabinet, stoves, and ovens. What did Weiss like to eat? Let's see…uh… Willow grimaced, realizing she had no idea what her children liked to eat.

When Weiss was younger she liked to eat….

Willow groaned, her memories of Weiss' childhood fuzzy. She had lost so much time with them.

She went to the fridge, looking over the various ingredients and packaged foods. She grabbed a blueberry yogurt; Weiss wore blue a lot, she must like blueberries, right? She looked at the other foods, her stomach rumbling. She paused as she looked at the meat patties used to make schnitzel, salivating. Atlesean's loved schnitzel, and it had been her favorite food when she had been Weiss' age, so Weiss should like that, right? She scanned the fridge, grabbing the purple jar off to the side; red cabbage was never a bad option.

She set the food on the counter, getting to work on making the schnitzel.

 _Willow_

Willow ignored the voice in the back of her head, coating the meat in flour.

 _Aren't you thirsty?_

She dipped it in eggs, and then in the bread crumbs, ignoring how dry her throat was.

 _You've gone through a lot, wouldn't you like to forget what you saw?_

She set the patties in the oil, hearing them pop and sizzle. She swallowed, looking back at the door on the other side of the kitchen; the way to the wine cellar.

 _That's right, Willow. One little drink won't hurt you._

She looked back at the schnitzel as it fried; it needed a few minutes to cook anyways. She riffled through the cabinets next to the stove, and pulled out a corkscrew. She turned away from the stove, walking over to the wine cellar door. She took a deep breath, and opened it.

She climbed down the steps, looking at the multitude of wine bottles filling the walls. She grabbed one off the rack, inspecting it; Mistralian Red, thirty five years. Not bad. She pulled the cork out, staring down into the bottle, watching the wine.

 _Just a sip, one little drop._

She brought the bottle to her lips, hesitating, unable to lift the bottle enough to drink.

The terror in Winter's eyes, the disappointment in Whitley's.

The glazed over stare from Weiss as she lay dying.

Willow brought the bottle down, staring at it, shaking her head.

 _Willow, you NEED this. It's just one drink, Weiss will understand. They'll all understand. You've gone through so much, it's what makes it easier._

Willow scowled, tightening her grip on the bottle. She threw it onto the ground, the glass shattering, wine spraying onto her skirt.

"It shouldn't be easier," Willow said.

* * *

The water was warm as it ran down her body. She sat under the showerhead, her knees pressed against her chest, her arms wrapped around her legs, her chin resting on her knees. The water dripped down her face as she stared at the blue tile of the shower floor. She unwrapped her arms, her hand going to the scar on her stomach, tracing her finger over it, a jolt going up her back.

Weiss sighed, wrapping her arm back around her legs. Her hair clung to her back, and the ends of it danced in the pooled water as the shower continued to beat down on her.

 _i'm sorry_

* * *

Willow nudged Weiss' door open, relief washing through her when she saw Weiss sitting in one of her chairs, watching something on her scroll. She was in her pajamas, ear buds on. Her hair was damp.

Willow set the tray of food down on the table, and took the other chair. Weiss pulled her ear buds out, collapsing her scroll, looking at the food. Nerves ate at Willow's stomach as Weiss looked at the food. Weiss turned to her.

"You made all of this?" Weiss asked. Willow nodded. Weiss grabbed the plate with the blueberry yogurt, smiling. "It looks delicious." Willow smiled, her nerves easing. She grabbed her own plate, starting to eat. She stifled a giggle as Weiss tore into the food, swallowing it down ravenously, all attempts at manors foregone.

Weiss finished her meal first, setting the plate back onto the try, daintily wiping at her lips with her napkin. Willow set her unfished plate back onto the tray.

"What were you watching?" Willow asked.

"Hm? Oh. It was just a musical." Weiss said. Willow cocked her head to the side.

"Do you like musicals?" Willow asked. Weiss nodded. "The girl you met, does she like them?" she asked.

"She's more into books."

"I see." Willow played with her hands. "What's her name? Was she a part of your team?" Weiss nodded.

"Her name was Blake. She and I made up Team RWBY, along with Ruby and Yang; they're a pair of sister's I met while over there." Willow nodded. RWBY, huh. A fine team name. Willow gave her daughter a smile.

"I think I would like to hear a bit more about this team you were in. If that's okay?"

Weiss smiled, and nodded.

 **I cried so many times working on Heavy and this chapter :"D**


	63. Blue

**And here's Blake's original chapter. Sorry it's late, had writers block with this one.**

Sun groaned in annoyance, his tail swishing behind him. The rain was warm as it hit his tail, dribbling gently against the umbrella above his head.

"Are we there yet?" Sun asked.

"Just a little further," Neptune said.

They trudged through the tropical forest, water dripping down the trees, running down the giant elephant ears. There were very few houses out this far, the muddy road surrounded by forestry.

Sun perked up as the forest thinned out, the muddy road getting somewhat rockier. The rain began to slow, the ground beginning to slope upwards. Neptune collapsed the umbrella, the rain a gentle mist as they climbed up the mountainside.

Sun's head felt dizzy as they climbed higher and higher, the forest disappearing the further up they went. The stone's around them began to change color as they climbed higher, drab browns being replaced with bright reds, yellows, greens, purples, and blues, all intertwining to create a rainbow of colors. They had a glass like sheen, the mist making them slick. Sun glanced at the wall of stone next to him and froze, his jaw dropping He heard Neptune stop, looking back at him.

"Duuuude," Sun said, pointing at the rainbow rocks. Neptune gasped in surprise.

A multitude of ink black ants in bone armor skittered around inside the rocks, long twisting tunnels carving there way through the rainbow stones. Sun went to the wall, pressing against it, staring in awe at the Burrowers as they moved around inside the mountainside.

"Blake really wasn't kidding about the Grimm here," Neptune said. Sun nodded, his forehead rubbing against the stone. The Burrowers continued at their work, not noticing him at all. He backed away, looking up; they were almost at the top, not much further to go. He looked over at Neptune, giving him a smile and a nod.

They continued their trek upwards, the rain stopping. The humidity began to die, a sharp, dry wind nipping at Sun, his shirt flapping around him as they reached the top. A guard stood at the top of the mountain, a riflespear in hand, confusion on his face. Neptune went to the guard, talking to him in that language, the words alien sounding. Sun smiled, walking forward, resting his hands on his hips as he stared out, the dry wind biting at his face.

The mountains shone bright, hundreds of colors dancing in the air. A vast desert lay between the various rainbow mountains, clouds of dust and sand blowing over the dunes. He inhaled, breathing deep, savoring the scent of the desert air; of sand and heat, of home. He squinted, something huge was swimming through the sands off in the distance, didn't look like the Worms back in Vacuo. He glanced back as Neptune grasped his shoulder. Neptune smiled at him, and looked out at the desert.

"Glad you got to see it?" he asked. Sun nodded, looking back out at the dunes.

"It's not the same as the one's back home, but it's the closest I'll get for a while." Sun said.

* * *

The rain pitter pattered against her window, the room dark. Blake sat on her bed, looking around; it had been so long since she had last seen this place. Her bed squeaked as she shifted, the mattress rather uncomfortable. Dust covered the bookshelves, the pages of her books beginning to yellow. She got up from her bed, going to the bookshelf. She smiled as she looked over the familiar spines, at her childhood favorites. She pulled one of the books down, nostalgia hitting her as she looked at the faded cover, at the dog eared pages; _Mohabbat: A Tale of Two Princesses_.

" _Which book is that_?"

Blake gasped, clutching the book to her chest, her ears flattening. She looked over; her mother stood in the doorway, the hallway light brightening her dark room. Her mother cocked her head to the side as she looked at the book. Blake looked away, feeling heat creep into her cheeks.

" _Just a dumb fairy tale_." She set the book back on its place on the shelf, resting her hands behind her back. " _Did you need something, mom_?" Blake asked. Kali glanced around her room.

" _It's okay we left your room alone, right?_ " Blake cocked her head to the side.

" _I guess?_ " Kali walked into the room, going to the bed, and sitting down. " _When you ran away, you're father and I were so worried. We thought you would be back after a day; that you had to cool off. And then two days passed. And then a week. Then a month, a year, two years._ " Kali trailed off, gripping the purple bed sheets, her gaze on the floor. " _A part of me, deep down, was afraid I would never see my little girl again."_ She looked up, flashing Blake a smile. " _I wanted to spend some time with you. See what kind of woman my daughter grew up to be."_

Blake grasped the ribbon on her arm, and nodded. She took the spot next to her mother. She stared at the floor, her hands in her lap, unsure of what to say.

" _What kind of books do you read now_? _You read a lot of stories about Hunters and heroes when you were little_." Kali asked.

" _I like mystery books a lot now_." She looked back at her bookshelf, smiling as she looked at _Mohabbat's_ spine. " _I'm rather fond of romances now too_."

" _Oh_?" Kali gave her a coy look. " _Any series in particular you like?_ " Blake blushed, and shook her head.

" _I'd rather not say._ " She said. Kali giggled, but dropped it. Her mother played with her hands for a moment before looking up at her ears.

" _You're father and I were really proud of how well you fought in the Vytal Tournament_." Kali said. Blake looked at her. Kali smiled. " _That sword of yours was really awesome."_ Kali's smile faded, and she sighed. " _But the bow you were wearing…was Beacon really that bad? I saw there were some Faunus who competed but you were the only one who hid it._ " Blake cocked her head to the side.

" _I mean… Vale is still a Human kingdom, there were still horrible people and places that refused to serve us. But I met a lot of humans who weren't like that at Beacon, and there were a lot of Faunus human couples too. But that wasn't why I wore it; I didn't want people knowing who I used to be."_

" _I see_." Kali was quiet for a moment, her gaze falling to her lap. " _I'm glad things are at least a little better then when I tried._ "

" _Tried what?_ " Blake asked. Kali smiled sadly.

" _It was a long time ago, before I met your father. I had it in my head that I could help our people by sneaking into Haven and being the first Faunus Hunter to graduate. Silly dream now that I look back on it."_ Blake's ears twitched as she looked at her mother.

" _What happened_?"

* * *

Kali smirked as she stood across from her opponent. She took her stance, her escrima sticks posed. The teacher had her clipboard at the ready, Kali's opponent laughing as he unsheathed his sword.

"Begin."

Her opponent charged at her with a yell, swinging his sword down. Kali smirked, her arms shooting up, one stick catching the blade as the shot forward, slamming into his gut. He staggered back with a grunt; Kali pressed forward, slamming one stick onto his arm, the other slamming against his face.

He swung with a yell, Kali smirked as she spun around his blade, a stick striking his knee. Her whirled, swinging the blade. She ducked, her eyes widening as she felt the blade trim off a few hairs, the ribbon tying her ears slicing in two. She heard the class gasp, and her opponent back away, his jaw dropping as the ribbons fell to the floor, her ears flattening as they all stared at her.

Kali kept her hands behind her back, grasping them, uneasy. The Headmaster sat at his desk, staring at her.

"Headmaster Ikari, I-"

"Quiet." He said. Kali closed her mouth, her palms sweaty. He stood from his desk, trailing his hand over the mahogany wood. "You entered my school under false pretenses; you must be well aware of why there are no Faunus Hunters in Mistral." Kali nodded her head, a knot in her gut as he approached her. He stopped in front of her, staring down, his hands resting on his hips. "Ms. Khan, under Mistralian law, you should be arrested." Kali swallowed, her hands trembling.

Headmaster Ikari sighed, closing his eyes, and looking away.

"You were a good student, Kali. You would have made for an amazing Huntress." Kali's lip parted, her ears twitching. "You're expelled from this school, but when the police ask about you, I'll just tell them your ears were a rumor. Wear your bow when you leave."

Kali blinked, her eyes wet. Her Headmaster wouldn't look at her. She nodded at him, and turned to leave, her ears flattening as she opened the door.

* * *

" _He ended up losing his job over that_ ," Kali said. Blake's ears were pinned to her head as she looked at her mother. " _The Council fired him for lying to the police about me, and refusing to tell them where to find me. I was back home in Wind Path when I heard the news._ " Kali chuckled. " _The Faunus in Mistral City were upset about the news, and some started to protest; why_ _ **couldn't**_ _they be Hunters_?" Kali smiled. " _You can guess who that brought into their city_."

* * *

Kali crossed her arms, a wave of disgust hitting her as her sister watched the news.

"A representative of the White Fang, one Hōzuki Ghira, has stated that he and his followers will be holding a civil protest in Mistral City in the wake of the controversy surrounding Haven Academy." Sienna laughed.

" _The fuck's that race traitor gonna do? Hand out flower crowns to the humans and hope things go the way he wants_?" Sienna said. Kali glowered at the screen as a picture of a large man with a mane of hair and a scraggly beard appeared in the corner. She tuned the reporter out as she spoke.

" _He's wasting his time_." Kali said. Sienna sighed, and turned off the tv. She looked over at her, giving her a mischievous smile.

" _Feel like going to Mistral? I'm sure the Khan sisters can spice that protest up._ " Kali smiled back at her wickedly.

Kali made her way through the crowd of protestor's, Sienna at her side.

"Right to Fight! Right to Fight!" the crowd chanted. Kali side stepped a Faunus with a picket sign, the crowd growing thicker the closer to the front they got, the chanting growing thunderously loud. She shoved her way to the front, narrowing her eyes at Him.

He stood in front of the crowd, a mob of humans across from him. She sneered as she watched him turn back and forth between the two groups, shouting, his voice carrying over the crowd.

"The Faunus have fought and died for many a human cause; Faunus blood was spilt during the Great War just as much as human blood was. We feel as much devotion and love for our Kingdom's as the Humans do, we detest the Grimm as much as the humans do. It is only right that we, the Faunus, are given the capacity to join the Hunt against the Grimm." Ghira raised a fist as he spoke. "Any Faunus who has the skill and potential in aiding against the threat of the Grimm should be allowed the opportunity to do so. We deserve that right."

Kali's eyes widened in shock as some of the humans began to approach the crowd, Ghira smiling and nodding at them, pausing in his speech as they joined his crowd. Kali turned, staring in confusion at the human who took the spot next to her. Sienna's nose wrinkled in disgust as more and more of the humans from the opposite crowd began to join Ghira's.

The human crowd began to part, shock and worry on their faces as police marched through the crowd. The chanting began to die down, worried murmuring replacing it. Kali swallowed, her throat suddenly dry, as the police formed a wall with their riot shields, blocking the humans off, standing before Ghira. Ghira's voice did not quiver.

"The Faunus have faced despotism before, and we have not bent or break. We ask for the equal opportunity to risk our lives for the betterment of Remnant."

An officer stepped forward, a megaphone in hand.

"You and your ilk are protesting without a permit, and without Mistralian citizenship. You are to disperse and end this at once."

"I can assure you, the people who have joined me are Mistralian's."

The murmuring in the crowd grew louder, people starting to back away as the wall opened, the officers drawing their nightsticks. The officer with the megaphone dropped it, lowering the faceplate of his helmet.

"I am placing you and the members of this riot under arrest for disrupting the peace."

Screams erupted in the crowd as the police charged. Kali stood paralyzed, staring as the officer's ran at her, her mouth agape; people were shoving past her as they ran. She saw some of the police stumble and fall as the crowd of humans behind them rushed them, beating and kicking at the police that fell. Sienna ran past her, a snarl on her lips, ducking under an officer's nightstick and grappling for it. Another officer appeared behind her, slamming his nightstick against the back of Sienna's head. Sienna hissed, stepping out of the way of the next swing-

"Look out!" Kali yelped as she felt herself get thrown to the ground, her head hitting the concrete. She groaned, shaking her head, her world spinning. Ghira laid on top of her, a grimace on his face, his teeth gritted in pain. Kali stared up at him, trembling as several officers beat at his back.

* * *

" _That was your aunt, father, and I's first arrest. Mistral, and the other kingdoms were in an uproar about what happened, and the Council made it legal for Faunus to attend Haven and become Hunters. They appointed a Faunus as the Headmaster as a show of good faith, and pardoned all of those who had been falsely arrested._ "

" _Why didn't you go back_?" Blake asked. Kali shrugged.

" _I considered it. But I thought I could do more good helping your father in the White Fang, and…well, we hit it off after that. I remember when I first heard about your father; I hated him so much, I thought he was just some complacent fool who would never be able to help our people. And he proved me wrong that day_." Kali looked over at the ribbon on her arm. " _I guess we fall in love with people we never thought we would_."

Blake grasped the ribbon, biting her lip and looking away. Kali wrapped an arm around her.

" _I didn't want to ask while Sienna was here but… I recognize that shade of blue_." Blake's stomach dropped.

" _It's not what you think_ ," Blake said. Kali chuckled.

" _I figured it wouldn't be_." Kali gave her shoulder a squeeze. " _I'm a little confused but I'm sure you have an explanation."_ Blake rubbed the ribbon, sighed, and closed her eyes; Weiss' smiling face filling her mind.

" _When I first met her, she was exactly what you would think a Schnee would be like. She was rude, she was stubborn, she was a racist bitch, and I hated her. I wanted to see her dead. But…_ " Blake took a breath. " _There was something about her that I couldn't place, something that caught my attention. And as time passed, she actually started to change her views on the Faunus; she wanted to learn about our people, she wanted to fix her behavior, she wants to help the Faunus_." She smiled. " _She's beautiful, she's smart, she's so talented with her sword and glyphs_." She opened her eyes, and looked her mother in the eye. " _And she's just as much of a victim of her family as we are. Her family abused and neglected her, and brainwashed her into thinking we were responsible for her suffering. She wants to take over the SDC and right the wrongs her family has done._ " She looked at the ribbon, and smiled. " _She is my moon, and I'm her stars, mom._ "

Kali hugged her, patting the back of her head.

" _I guess I won't be getting grandkids then, huh?_ " Blake reeled from the hug, her cheeks burning.

" _Mom_!" Kali started to laugh, a hand going to her mouth to try and stifle it.

" _Sorry dear, I just wanted to break the tension_." Kali's laughter died down, and she rested her hands in her lap. " _I'll take your word that Weiss is not like the rest of the Schnee's. I'm glad you've found someone who makes you happy_." Blake smiled.

" _Thanks, mom_." Blake hugged her mother, smiling warmly. Kali patted her back as they hugged. After a moment, Kali broke the hug, smiling at her.

" _I'll leave you be for now, Blake. I know you like your space. But I want to hear more about Weiss and the rest of your team when you have the chance_." Blake nodded.

" _Okay_ ," she said.

Kali got to her feet, going to the door. She paused at the doorway, and looked back at Blake.

" _I'm so glad you're back_ ," Kali said. She turned and left, shutting the door behind her.

Blake exhaled, and leaned back on her bed, staring up at her ceiling. The rain sounded gentle, her room dark, comforting. She lifted her head, craning her neck to look at her bookshelf. She smiled, getting up and going to the bookshelf; time to see if her childhood favorites held up.

* * *

Neptune sipped from his smoothie as they left the shack, Sun waving bye as he exited the door. They stood under the canopy, the rain gentle.

"Aight, so we saw the desert, got smoothies, what else do you wanna do?" Sun asked. Neptune took another sip from his papaya smoothie, thinking for something to do. He watched a woman run past them, a loaf of bread stuffed under her arm, struggling to keep her umbrella up as she ran. Neptune looked down the muddy road, the port visible off in the distance.

"Wanna go check out what they have down there?" he asked. Sun shrugged, and then nodded.

Neptune was surprised at how crowded the port was when they arrived; no one seemed to mind the rain as they shopped at the various stalls. He smiled as he felt Sun wrap his tail around his waist as they entered the crowd. They made their way through the huge crowd, trying to find a vendor who wasn't being swarmed by customers. Vendors shouted, beckoning more people to the crowd around their stalls in between helping customers.

" _Freshly caught fish! Best on the island!_ "

" _Herb baked bread! A variety of choices!_ "

" _Mussels! Clams! Delicious sea urchins!_ "

Neptune grunted, groaning in annoyance as his smoothie was knocked to the floor.

" _Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry._ " Neptune looked from his smoothie to the woman he had bumped into. Her brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, her skin a deep tan. Her cheeks had a blueish hue as she looked at the spilt smoothie. Sun cocked his head to the side, tightening his tail around him as they looked at the girl.

" _Ah, it's fine. I was almost done anyway._ " Neptune said. The blue turned to a pink, a look of relief washing over the girl. Neptune narrowed his eyes as he looked at the girl's right hand. She wore a glove but it looked like a part of her skin had been… burned? It had the same look as when Blake had shown them her emblem. The girl tugged at her glove, pulling it up, the scaly skin being covered. The girl closed her eyes, cocking her head to the side and offering them a sweet smile. " _I'll try to be more careful. I don't want to cause any trouble. We Faunus got to stick together, right?_ "

" _Y-yeah,_ " Neptune said. The girl opened her eyes.

" _If I run into you two again, I'll treat you two, as payback. That okay?_ " she asked. Neptune glanced down at the glove again, noticing the flash of red on her cheeks and in her eyes. He nodded.

" _Sure. Sounds good_." He cocked an eyebrow. " _What's your name?_ "

" _My name is Ilia._ "

 **I decided to move Winter's chapter up, closer to the end of V4, and that Yang's story would need an additional chapter due to pacing reasons.**  
 **Unrelated, but I saw the explanation for the self harm lyrics in Path to Isolation and was really disappointed by the explanation given for it.**


	64. Pains of the Past

**And here's Yang's 3rd original chapter.**  
 **I really loved all the info that was released at RTX (the GE dlc, the CFVY spin off book, Manticore Grimm, and the Adam trailer). If I remain on schedule (and don't add any more chapters ^-^;) I should have V4 finished right before V6 starts airing.**

She was surrounded by flames, smoking blacking out the sky. She could hear the Ursa's growls all around her; Yang's hands shook as she spun towards each growl, fear eating at her.

"Yang." The fires around her began to die, smoldering embers all that remained. The Ursa's growls ceased. She turned to the voice, a smile tugging at her lips. Weiss stood some distance from her, smiling at her, her arms open, waiting for her.

Yang ran to her, reaching out, throwing her arms out. Weiss' loving smile grew as Yang leapt toward her-

-and hit nothing, Weiss disappearing in a blue mist. Yang's eyes widened, watching the mist as it evaporated. She screamed, her right arm disintegrating.

"Yang," a voice cooed. She looked back, clutching her stump, her breath hitching. Blake was staring at her smugly, an arm wrapped around Weiss. Weiss was snuggling into her chest, her arms wrapped around Blake's waist. Blake smiled, her lips curling over her teeth as she looked down at Weiss, placing a hand under her chin, tilting Weiss' face up. Weiss closed her eyes, her lips parting as she leaned for a kiss. Yang tried to look away, unable to move her body, forced to watch them, bile at the back of her throat. Blake kept her eyes on Yang as she pressed her lips against Weiss', a hint of a smile as they kissed. The coy look in Blake's eyes grew as Blake drew her sword.

Yang opened her mouth to scream, her voice gone. She couldn't move, her chest tightening as Blake plunged the sword into Weiss' stomach. Weiss broke the kiss, moaning Blake's name, before pressing her lips against Blake's with renewed fervor. Blake twisted the blade, plunging it deeper and deeper into Weiss' gut, her dress turning crimson, blood running from her lips and smearing against Blake's face. Blake narrowed her eyes at Yang, mirth dancing in her amber eyes as Weiss broke from her lips, trailing kisses down the side of her neck. Blake grinned at her.

She woke with a start; a phantom pain on her right side. She rolled over, looking at the team picture on her nightstand. Ice looked back at her. Yang sighed, sitting up, resting her head in her hand. Life really had to be like this, huh. She got to her feet, and went to the door. She took a deep breath, and opened it.

* * *

Glynda sat on the couch, the mug of coffee warm in her hands. Tai sat in his chair, his expression unreadable. She glanced back as she heard Yang descend the stairs. She smiled reassuringly at her as Yang looked over at Tai. Tai didn't look up as Yang took a spot on the couch.

"When did you get home?" Tai asked, finally looking up..

"I don't know. Sun was up." Tai exhaled, drumming his fingers against the arm of his chair.

"About what I said. Yang, I." he paused, gripping the chair. He sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I know that it was insensitive. I know it was wrong, it just… it slipped out, okay? I messed up." Yang scoffed.

"Wouldn't be the first time." Yang said, her words venomous. Tai scowled, and opened his mouth. Glynda wrapped an arm around Yang's shoulder, glaring at Tai. Taiyang grunted, and looked away.

"I know I've messed up, Yang. I'm trying to fix this." Tai narrowing his eyes as he looked her over. "What happened to your jacket? That's not the one you left in."

Glynda glanced down; the jacket Yang was in was brown instead of gray, the emblem stitched into the left side missing. Glynda's lips parted as she looked Yang over; was… was that blood on her shirt? Yang shifted in her seat, not looking at them.

"Got this from a friend. Lost the other one while I was out."

"You lost it? How could you have…" Tai looked at her stump. His face hardened. "Where's your arm." Glynda gripped Yang's shoulder as Yang rubbed the end of her stump.

"I lost it, alright?" Tai bolted upright, disbelief in his eyes.

"You lost it?! How could you lose it! Where could you have lost it at?!" Yang wretched free of Glynda's grip, bolting up, sparks flying from her hair. She glowered at her father, her eyes burning red.

"I lost it at the place I grew up at, dad! The place that taught me how to fight because you couldn't!"

Glynda got to her feet, stepping between the two.

"Sit. Both of you." They both looked at her. Her gaze turned icy, and she crossed her arms. Tai was the first to sit back down. Yang grunted in annoyance, the flames in her hair dying as she sat back down. Glynda sighed, and adjusted her glasses. She looked at Yang; the scar on her lip, her crooked nose; she remembered the teeth she had been missing whenever she flashed a confidant smirk in class. "Yang." Yang looked at her. "I've already inferred what you had to go through, but… I want to hear you tell me what happened." Glynda shot a pointed glare at Tai. "And I want a good explanation from you, Taiyang."

Yang glared at her father before looking at Glynda, her voice even as she spoke.

"He stopped looking after us. I had to raise Ruby and help her… help her with some personal things. I had to go to the Hole and learn how to fight and make enough money to make sure we weren't starving or homeless." Anger shrouded Yang's eyes. "I sacrificed everything because he couldn't."

Glynda looked at Tai. He was looking off to the side, frowning.

"Tai. What do you have to say for yourself."

"It's more complicated than that." Tai said. Yang laughed, the sound bitter.

"I know _exactly_ what it's like to lose the people you care about. To have them all leave you. For them to die." She gripped the couch cushion, her knuckle turning white. "And I would never let that be an excuse to not take care of the people I love."

 _For them to die?_

Glynda watched Tai, realization dawning.

"Taiyang. When did… when did this happen?" He was quiet for a moment.

"After Summer died." Glynda exhaled, a hand going to her temple. Of course. Tai looked over at his daughter. "I know that I was a shitty dad to you growing up, Yang. But…" Tai sighed, gripping his chair. "Summer was my best friend. It hurt me every day thinking about what happened. About what had happened to my team." Glynda's expression softened. This was the same time Qrow started drinking, if her memory was correct.

"That's it?" Glynda blinked in surprise, looking at Yang. "I lost my arm. I saw my friends get butchered right before my eyes. My entire team? Gone." Yang stood up. "I can barely sleep, I can't even be near a fire without having a panic attack, and yet I'm the one running this house while you what, pretend to be a good dad?" A chill went down Glynda's back as Yang's eyes turned a familiar shade of red. "You're weak."

Glynda watched as Yang turned and left, climbing the stairs.

Tai rubbed his temple, sighing.

"I guess I had that one coming." Tai said. She heard Yang's door shut.

"Does she know about what happened to Summer? About why Raven left?" Glynda asked. Tai shook his head.

"It's not my place to tell her about all of that. Salem, the Relics, I don't want her getting involved." Tai looked up the stairs, and got from his seat. "I'm going to go talk to her."

Glynda watched him climb the stairs, and sat back down on the couch. She grabbed her mug of coffee, looking down into it as she heard Yang's door open.

* * *

Tai hesitated, lingering in the doorway. Yang lay on her side, her back to him.

"What do you want?" Yang asked. Tai entered the room, shutting the door behind him.

"I wanted to talk."

"I'm done talking."

"You don't have to say anything then. Just listen for a little bit." Yang didn't respond. Tai sat at the foot of her bed, and rubbed the back of his head as he thought of how to start.

"I loved your mother. She had this fire to her, this strength I hadn't seen in a person before." He lowered his hand from his head, resting it on the bed, Raven's warm face filling his mind. He gripped the bed sheets; the loving smiles and lungful glances Raven would throw at Summer when they were in class. "And she never really looked at me in the same way until years after we had known each other. She…. I'll admit she's a hard person to get along with, and she was reluctant at the thought of being a mother."

"When she left, I was devastated. I blamed myself, that I hadn't been good enough. And Summer was there for me when I was at my lowest. So when I lost her, I-I… I broke." He looked at the picture at Yang's nightstand. "I was alone. Summer was dead. Raven was gone. Qrow was drinking himself to death, and only stopped by to check on Ruby. He never stopped by for me."

"I know that what you're going through is even worse. But I want you to know, Yang, that I know what it feels like to be completely alone. That everyone you care about has left you, that you're left with nothing but your regrets and fears." Tai looked at his daughter.

"You inherited a lot from your mother. You have that same strength. I knew what you were doing. I wasn't blind to the bruises on you or the missing teeth. And I hated myself for having to make you have to shoulder all of this. That I was weak, that I couldn't force myself to get better, at how long it took me to recover. That I could act like everything was okay and be the dad Ruby needed when I was better but that I couldn't with you. That I couldn't be the one to train you how to fight."

"I don't expect you to forgive me. I know I can't forgive myself. But I'm here for you now. I want you to know that you're not alone, and that you don't have to be strong all the time." He stood up, Yang didn't move, wouldn't look at him. He closed his eyes, going to the door. "You're my daughter, Yang, and I love you. More than anything else on Remnant."

He opened the door, and left the room, shutting it behind him.

* * *

Yang sniffed, her cheeks warmed by the tears. She turned, looking over at the door. She could see her father's shadow for a moment before he walked away. She sniffed again, wiping at the tears, the end of her stump itching. She looked at her photo.

Ice, and silver looked back.

* * *

Pyrrha's eyes snapped open, blinking in confusion. She was sitting against a wall, the air frigid, brown leaves dancing in the air, the setting sun casting a golden light over her. She looked down at her hands, turning them over; she was in her old armor. She looked to her side.

"Jaune?"

He smiled at her, reaching for her hand. Flames licked at his body, his skin blackening and cracking as he placed his hand over hers. Pyrrha recoiled in shock, snapping her hand back. Jaune's smile disappeared, he wavered, and collapsed onto the floor. A plume of dust rose into the air as his body disintegrated into ashes.

Pyrrha fell to the ground, staring at the ashes. She felt tears welling, locks of her crimson hair falling out and mingling with his ashes. The tears fell, wetting the dust as she felt her face and body burn, blood dripping down as the scars cut their way through her flesh.

She looked up, her lip quivering at who stared back at her. A circle of figures had formed around her, their bodies distorted and stretched, towering above her. They wore her old armor, their crimson hair blowing with the wind, their accusatory green eyes baring into her soul.

Pyrrha lunged at the figures with a cry, Échthra materializing in her hand. She stabbed and slashed at the figures, their blood raining down, their faces remaining emotionless as they fell to her blades.

She opened her eyes, her heart thumping against her chest. She sat up, resting her head in her hand. She looked up.

Small green orbs floated through the air, a dull blue glow emanating from the mushrooms that towered around them. Nora lay on her bedroll, a smaller mushroom resting over her. Ruby was twitching in her sleep. The fire had died, and she saw Ren standing a bit past their camp, his arms crossed, illuminated by the bioluminescent glow of the forest.

She got to her feet, going to his side. He didn't look back as he spoke.

"Nightmare?" he asked. Pyrrha stopped next to him, staring out at the glowing blue lake.

"What else would it be?" she said. Ren said nothing. She watched the dark fish swim in the water. She glanced up as she felt the ground tremble. She saw a dark figure lumbering through the mushrooms; a large body on twisted, extended legs, its long clawed arms being dragged against the floor. She saw the Strider look over at them, its bright orange eyes piercing. It stared at them for a few moments before continuing on its way, the water rippling as it walked. Ren rubbed at his chest, looking down at the water.

"You get used to them after a while," he said. He looked over at her, holding up a hand, a pink glow around his body. "I can help you get to back to sleep, but I can't promise the nightmares will stop."

Pyrrha looked away, her eyes downcast. She saw something near one of the mushrooms, she squinted as she focused on it. A burnt corpse stood next to a mushroom, staring at her, its mouth burnt together, its blue eyes unblinking. Pyrrha swallowed, a chill going down her back as the corpse stared at her.

"Something wrong?" She looked back at Ren. He was looking at her, an eyebrow raised. She looked back at the mushroom. The space next to it was empty. She turned, beginning to walk back towards their camp.

"Don't keep watch all night, wake Nora up when it's her turn." Pyrrha said. Ren said nothing.

She laid down on her mat, resting her head on her arms. She blinked, her eye lids heavy. The Corpse stood next to their fire; staring, unblinking, watching her. Pyrrha rolled onto her side, her back to the fire, and squeezed her eyes shut.

Pyrrha's eyes snapped open, blinking in confusion. She was sitting against a wall, the air frigid, brown leaves dancing in the air, the setting sun casting a golden light over her. She looked down at her hands, turning them over; she was in her old armor. She looked to her side.

"Jaune?"

 **And that's it. Up next is Weiss' original chapter, and then we're back to the canon story for a while. And internet cookie to anyone who can figure out what scene Pyrrha's nightmare sequence paid homage to.**


	65. Iridescent

**And here is Weiss' last original chapter for V4. I wanted to do something experimental for Weiss' segment at the end.**

Willow stepped out of the car. The Dust Temple caught the spring sun's lights, glowing bright white. She looked back as she heard the other car door open. Weiss smiled at her reassuringly.

"Are you sure you want to be here?" Willow asked. Weiss nodded. Willow exhaled, looking back at the temple. She opened and closed her hand several times, her stomach uneasy. Her eyes widened as she felt someone grasp her hand, squeezing gently. She looked down; Weiss was holding her hand. Weiss smiled at her.

"You're not alone anymore." Weiss said. Willow smiled, and turned to the temple. She held Weiss' hand as she walked through the gate, down the bridge, and stopped at the door. She took her shoes off, Weiss letting go of her hand to do the same. She hesitated, looking at the door.

OPEN AA MEETING

Willow took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and exhaled. She glanced at Weiss, who smiled at her, and turned back to the door. She set her hand on it, and pushed it open.

The temple interior was a rainbow of colors and light, crystals dangling from the walls and ceiling. Willow squinted, her eyes adjusting to the brightness. She bit her lip as her vision cleared; a group of people were sitting in a circle, a table with coffee off to the side. The group smiled at her.

Willow approached the group, her stomach in knots as she took the open seat. She saw Weiss stand near the table, leaning against the wall. Willow played with her hands, her mouth dry as she felt the others looking at her, hearing their voices as they resumed their conversations. She glanced at her watch, it was almost time for the meeting to start.

"It's about that time. Let's begin." The conversation's ceased, Willow looked up, an elderly woman sat across from her, a warm smile on her face. "Let's start with a moment of silence." Willow looked at the others as they bowed their heads before doing the same. The silence went on, longer than Willow thought it would have. "Let us recite prayer."

Willow kept her mouth closed, the Dust prayer a hazy memory.

"To the excellent Dust, sangha, and teachings, I go for refuge until death, by my merit of charity and rest, may I join you again." The group said. Willow lifted her head, glancing at the others, watching what they did. One sat down, and Willow did the same. She crossed her legs, resting her hands in her lap as the others took their seats. The Elderly Woman looked at her.

"Is this anyone's first time here?" Willow saw the group shaking their heads. She hesitated before raising her hand. The Elderly Woman smiled. She nodded at the group, and Willow shrunk into her seat as they got to their feet. Reassurance was in their eyes, smiles on their faces as they all embraced her. Willow blinked, unsure of what to say. The group broke the hug after a moment, going back to their chairs. The Elderly Woman nodded at her.

"Would you like to start first?" she asked. Willow played with her hands, her fingers interlocking. She kept her gaze on the floor, and nodded. She took a breath.

"Hello. My name is Willow, and…" she took another breath. "I'm a recovering alcoholic."

"Hi, Willow." The group said.

"Do you want to talk a little? About your experiences?" Willow looked over at Weiss. Weiss nodded. Willow looked back at the group, sighing.

"I've had a drinking problem for over thirty years. It lead to me neglecting my family and unable to raise my children." She looked up at the group, at the sympathetic and understanding eyes. "I have been clean for almost two months. I decided to give it up after…" she looked back at Weiss, her eyes lingering on her stomach. She turned back to the group. "After I nearly lost someone I cherish."

Some in the group clapped, the ones next to her grabbing her shoulder and squeezing reassuringly, others giving her words of encouragement. Their voices just bled over each other as Willow looked over at her daughter. She felt lighter somehow. Weiss smiled, her eyes damp. Willow smiled back at her before looking back at the group as the next member spoke.

* * *

A bead of sweat trickled down her neck. Weiss grit her teeth, her muscles screaming as the green glyph flickered in front of her.

"You can do it Weiss!" Willow shouted. Weiss kept her eyes on the glyph, refusing to break her concentration. "Think back on all those you love, all those that you wish you could have helped when they were in pain! Think of them, and watch as you heal their wounds!"

Weiss let out a cry, falling to her knees as the glyph shattered. Her dress clung to her, her body sticky and slick with sweat. She looked over at her mother.

Willow was smiling, sipping from a juice pouch.

"You did great, Weiss. I can't even remember how long it took me to even be able to summon it for a few seconds." Weiss wiped at her brow, her sleeve damp. Willow lowered the pouch, looking away. "You know so many glyphs… and I didn't help with any of them."

Weiss looked at the spot the glyph had shattered; the grass and the flowers seemed healthier. She looked back at her mother, smiling at her.

"But you're helping me with this one." Willow looked at her, a faint smile appearing when she caught her eye. Willow grabbed a towel resting from a tree branch, bringing it over to her. Weiss took it, rubbing it against her face; the fabric so soft, the faint scent of lilac.

"Have you made any progress on your song? The concert is coming up soon." Weiss kept her face hidden in the towel. She shook her head; she had a general idea of what she wanted, but the lyrics wouldn't come to her. She felt a hand gently grasp her shoulder. "Well whatever you come up with, I'm sure I'll love it." Weiss smiled into the towel.

"Thanks, mom." She said. She moved the towel, wiping the sweat off her hands and legs. She looked back at her mother, smiling warmly. "I think I'm done for the day. Same time tomorrow?"

Willow seemed disappointed, but nodded. Weiss tucked the towel under her arm as she left, her heart dropping as she passed the windows around the garden, at Mirror smirking at her.

* * *

Willow opened the door, her body feeling sluggish. Her garden chair was the most comfortable place in the house, the best place to relax. A tray of food sat next to her chair. She narrowed her eyes; a bottle of Mistralian Red sat next to the food, a glass already poured.

She closed the door, glancing around the room. It was empty. She went to her chair, playing with her hands as she looked at the glass, at the red heaven. She sat down, licking her lips, her throat parched. The juice was good, so sweet, but it did little to quench her thirst.

She shook her head, slapping her hands to her cheeks.

 _Got to get clean. Got to stop._

She grabbed a sausage off the plate, biting into it, grease running down her chin as she chewed.

 _Just one sip. One sip is enough._

She swallowed, her eyes going to the red. She looked behind her. No one there. She looked out the window. Weiss had gone back inside. None of the maids were tending to the flowers. She looked back at the red, her throat itchy, so dry.

She set the sausage on the plate. She reached for the glass, hesitating, peering into the crimson depths. She closed her eyes, brining the glass to her lips. Her eyes shot open.

 _Bitter. So bitter._

She gagged, the glass falling from her hand and shattering against the floor.

 _Disgustingly bitter._

She fell from her chair, landing on her knees, a hand covering her mouth as she tried to hold the bile in. She felt the vomit leaking through her fingers, and retched onto the floor, her eyes watering. She shuddered, looking up at the bottle. She staggered to her feet, nausea hitting her as she grabbed the bottle and went to the door. She leaned against the doorway, upending the bottle, watching in disgust as the wine drained out.

* * *

The razor shook in her hand, her breathing unsteady, her sleeve rolled up. The scars on her arms stared up at her, the veins beneath pulsing.

"Come on Weiss, you know you want to do it." Mirror's voice was sing song like. "Just set it against your wrist." Weiss swallowed, her hand trembling, closing her eyes. "We've done it a thousand times before, we need to keep doing this. It helps deal with the pain." The razor met her skin, blood trickling as she pressed down. She moved it to the side, gasping in pain, her eyes snapping open.

"It hurts," she whimpered.

"No shit. But isn't that pain better than the other?"

Weiss raised the razor, watching the blood run down her arm. She swallowed, nausea washing over her as she watched the blood. Her blood. Weiss looked back at her dresser, at her mirror. She got to her feet, clutching the razor, walking around her bed.

"Mirror, tell me something." Mirror shifted, crossing her arms. "Who's the loneliest of all?"

"Why you of course." Mirror snickered, smirking at Weiss.

Blake kissing her

Ruby studying with her

Yang embracing her

Her mother coaching her

Weiss stepped toward her reflection. Mirror's mocking smile faltered.

"Can a heart be turned to stone?"

"Of course it can. Just look at you; you're nothing but a delusional freak; your heart and soul are nothing but ice. You're empty and hollow."

The disbelief on Velvet's face when she saved her

Flynt's smirk when he complimented her

Violet's grateful smile when she gave her her autograph

Weiss stepped towards her dresser, the razor a weight in her hand.

The pain of the blade

The scars on her body

Her blood as it flowed

"Why wouldn't you let me hide from me?" Mirror narrowed her eyes at her.

"Why wouldn't I, Weiss? I'm you." Weiss snorted, smirking at Mirror. Mirror backed away, her icy eyes filling with hate.

"Mirror, what's this thing I see? Who is staring back at me? A stranger to my heart has filled my mind." Mirror's lip twitched, curling over her teeth as she snarled.

"Do you really think that you would be here without me? Who do you think got you through all of your pain growing up? Who helped you deal with all of your suffering? Who was there for you when no one else was? Hm?!" Mirror demanded.

Klein's nurturing smile

Winter's proud eyes

Weiss gripped the razor. Mirror's eyes darted to her hand, fear mingling with the hate.

"Mirror, help me." She lifted the razor into the air, pulling her arm back. "Who am I?!" Weiss shouted.

"You're nobody!" Mirror screamed.

Weiss hurled the razor. Shards of glass flew into the air, Mirror's screams of pain making Weiss smile. Cracks spiderwebbed through the mirror, chips falling off. Mirror was clutching her eye, blood running down her face. She gnashed her teeth, seething.

"You bitch! You think you can do this to me?!" Mirror let go of her eye, grabbing the edges of the mirror, pressing up against the glass. "You're nothing without me you edgy little cunt!" The blood began to slow, a scar forming over Mirror's left eye. "You think you can get rid of me?! I'm a part of you! I'm inside your mind!"

Weiss' smile fell, calmly watching Mirror as she struggled against the glass.

"You're right. I can't get rid of you." Mirror paused, her chest heaving, glaring at Weiss. "But that doesn't mean that I need to listen to you anymore."

Mirror reeled back, hurling a fist at the glass, screaming. Weiss closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

Mirror was gone when she opened her eyes. Weiss sighed, relieved. She perked up as she heard her door close. She saw a shadow move beneath the doorframe. Her eyes widened, dread shooting through her. She went to the door, ripping it open, stepping into the hallway.

Whitley was down the hallway, his back to her.

"Whitley!" He stopped, looking over his shoulder.

"Yes, dear sister?" Weiss hesitated, her eyes darting to her door.

"Did you need something? Why did you open my door?" she asked. Whitley shrugged, and looked ahead.

"I wanted to see if you were up for another game. You didn't seem to be in the mood." He started to walk away. "I'm looking forward to your concert Weiss. I'm curious as to what kind of song you've come up with."

Weiss stood in the hallway, narrowing her eyes as her brother left.

 **And that's it. We're back to the canon story after this chapter.**


	66. Tipping Point

**Finally back to the canon story ^-^; There's a scene with Weiss' concert I really wanted to do but I'm not entirely sure how well the idea translated into writing, so hope you enjoy it regardless!**  
 **The Adam short was really good, and I'm working on figuring out how to modify it and get it to fit into this story (and make you hate Adam even more).**

Nora swung her arms as she walked, Ren walking alongside her.

"I spy with my little eye-"

"A tree," Ren said. Nora giggled.

"Thirty in a row! You're really good at this. You're turn now."

"I spy with my little eye…" Ren looked around, humming. "Something red."

"Ruby's cape!" Nora said. Ren shook his head. Ruby looked up from the map, watching them as she walked. Nora rested a finger on her chin, looking around. She glanced back at Pyrrha. Pyrrha caught her eye, not saying anything. Her eyes darted upward briefly before looking back down at the road. Nora smiled. "Pyrrha's hair!"

"Correct," Ren said. "Your turn." Nora looked around, and came to a halt, her mouth opening. A large stone wall stood at the end of the road, large buildings towering over the top of the wall. She heard Ren and the others come to a halt.

"What's that doing here? The next village isn't for a few more days, isn't it?" Ruby asked. Nora squinted at the buildings; the gray twilight made it difficult to see but the roof's looked like they had been caved in.

"The building's look…damaged."

Ruby's face hardened. She pocketed the map, starting to run toward the wall.

"Look for survivors!" She shouted.

Nora dashed forward, running through the village entrance, chasing after Ruby. Ruby was sifting through rubble near the entrance, dust flying into the air. Nora ran into a building, taken back when she ran through the entrance. It was barren, the ceiling didn't look like it had even been put in. She back out of the doorway, looking back. Pyrrha was running from building to building. Ren was looking around the village as he walked, coming to a stop in front of a moss covered stone sticking out of the ground.

"Found something." Ren said. Nora went to his side, Ruby and Pyrrha joining her. He drew the knife from his boot, carving the moss off of the stone. Nora rested her hands on her hips when he was done; a word was carved into the stone face in Old Mistralian.

"Oniyuri? I've never heard of that." Nora said. Pyrrha shook her head.

"Neither have I," she said. Ren stood up, walking away from the stone marker.

"I have," he said. "You could think of it as being like Vale's Mountain Glenn. If it had ever been completed." He looked down at the marker. "Years ago, the richest members of Mistral were upset with how the Council was governing the Kingdom. Across the Kingdom, from Higanbana to Wind Path, people pooled their resources into creating a new City. One that would rival Mistral, and hopefully surpass it. Maybe even forming a Fifth Kingdom. For many, it was symbol of a better future." He walked away from the marker, crouching down near a torn apart building, dried blood painting the side of the wall. He brushed his hand against the cobblestone road, dust flying up. "I know my parent's certainly thought so."

"What happened?" Ruby asked. Ren looked back at them. Nora's eyes widened, ice shooting down her spine. A hoofprint was embedded into the cobblestone. A pink glow flickered around Ren for a brief moment before he sighed.

"What always happens." He said. She heard Pyrrha shift.

"The Grimm," she mumbled. Nora shook her head.

 ** _A_** _Grimm_

Nora gasped, jerking back as a murder of crows flew off, squawking and shrieking. Pyrrha sighed, and Nora looked at her. Pyrrha looked further into the village, at a partially built building.

"It's going to be night soon. Let's set up camp." She said. Ruby nodded in agreement. They started to walk over to the building, slinging off their packs. Nora looked at the stone marker, her heart thumping in her chest. She felt Ren gently caress her shoulder, and looked up at him. He offered a comforting smile. She took a deep breath, and smiled back.

Ren kept his hand on her shoulder as they joined Ruby and Pyrrha.

* * *

Weiss heard the applause as she stepped onto the stage. She saw a microphone at the front of the stage. She kept her hands together, not looking at the crowd as she went to the piano, the spotlight following her. The crowd quieted as she sat down. She closed her eyes, and began to play, the melancholy melody filling the theatre.

"Mirror? Can you hear me?" She took a breath. "Do I reach you?" She straightened her back. "Are you even listening?" She frowned. "Can I get through?"

"There's a part of me that's desperate for changes. Tired of being treated like a pawn." Her shoulder's slumped. "But there's a part of me that stares back from inside the mirror. Part of me that's scared I might be wrong. That I can't be strong."

Her fingers danced over the keys, her voice haunting and beautiful as it ascended. She opened her eyes, rising from the seat. The violins came alive as she sung.

"I've been afraid, never standing on my own. I let you be the keeper of my pride." She walked to the front of the stage. "Believed you when you told me I was nothing on my own." She faced the crowd. "Listen when I say, I swear it here today, I will not surrender. This life. Is. Mine!"

She smirked as the curtain behind her fell, and the guitars began.

"Amazing how you conquered me, chained me in servility. And made me see." She grabbed the mic. "The world the way you told me to. But I was young and didn't have a way to know the truth."

"Born to live your legacy, existing just to fill your needs. A casualty." She glowered at the balcony seats. "Of this so called family that you have turned into a travesty." She shook her head.

"But I don't intend to suffer any longer! Here's where you dominion falls apart!" She rested her hand on her heart. "I'm shattering the Mirror that kept me split in pieces!" She regripped the mic. "That stood between my mind and my heart. This is where I'll start!"

"I'm not your pet! Not another thing you own! I was not born guilty of your crimes! Your riches and your influence can't hold me anymore! I won't be possessed, burdened by a royal test! I will not surrender! This life! Is! Mine!"

The guitarists sprang forth, appearing next to her, shredding, her anger and hatred cascading onto the audience with the guitars hellish shrieking.

"Shame that it took so long, to rescue me, from the guilt you used to tie me to your family tree!" She smirked. "I guess your training failed; you're not in charge, I'm free! You're patriarchal prison won't hold me!"

"Now this conversation's final over. Mirror, Mirror, now we're done!" She sliced her hand over her throat. "I've pulled myself together now! My mind and heart are one!" She squeezed her eyes shut, screaming into the mic.

"Finally one!" Her eyes snapped opened; she pointed at Him.

"I'm not your pet! Not another thing you own! I was not born guilty of your crimes! Your riches and your influence can't hold me anymore! I won't be possessed! Burdened by a royal test! I will not surrender! This life! Is! Mine!"

She was gasping, her chest heaving as the instruments died, sweat coating her. The audience stared at her in shock. She heard two people clapping, and looked up at the balcony. Her mother and brother were clapping, Willow was smiling.

Her father narrowed his eyes at her, scowling.

A polite applause came from the audience a moment later, and Weiss curtsied before turning away, the curtain falling on the band. The spotlight on her died, and she sighed as she made her way off stage.

* * *

Pyrrha kept her arms crossed, standing just out of the fire light's reach. She leaned against one of the broken buildings, staring at the camp. Ren and Nora were sleeping. Ruby was tossing and turning in her sleep. The Corpse stood next to the flames, staring at her. She closed her eyes, looking away with a sigh.

The Corpse was gone when she opened her eyes. The fire crackled, a log breaking. Pyrrha looked up at the moon, counting the shattered shards floating in its orbit. Her eyes widened, a gentle gasp escaping her lips. She looked down; a soft yellow moth had landed on her chest. The moth's antenna's twitched as it looked up at her.

Pyrrha allowed herself to smile, raising a finger to it. The moth climbed onto her finger. She cocked her head to the side, smiling at it. It watched her for a moment before spreading its wings and flying off. She watched it leave.

She settled back into her spot against the building, her smile falling. She looked back at the moon. Ruby's turn would be coming up soon.

* * *

Weiss gripped her wrists as her father prattled on to some man and his wife. Whitley stood next to their father, a hand on his chin as he listened intently. Willow rolled her eyes at Jacque's mentioning of paying Faunus the same as their other employees. Willow sipped from her glass of water.

"Their argument is completely invalid right out of the gate," Jacques said with a disarming smile. Weiss sighed, looking away from her family. An array of painting hung on the wall on the opposite side of the room. Her heart sank at the familiar sight of Beacon.

"Well, I think the bigger issue is maybe our society as a whole."

"You mean Atlas entirely?"

"Atlas, Mistral. The only decent Kingdom is Vacuo." Her father laughed.

"Vacuo? Really? Have you seen their economy lately?"

Weiss began to leave, gasping in surprise as a skeletal hand gripped her wrist. Her father jerked her to his side, speaking from the side of his mouth.

"Where do you think you're going?" he whispered. Weiss' eyes darted around, settling on the glasses in so many people's hands.

"I'm… I'm thirsty." Her father looked at her, frowning.

"That's what the help is for." He let go of her wrist, motioning at one of the servers. Weiss grabbed his arm, lowering it back down.

"It's okay. I can get it." Jacques' stare was pointed. "I'll be right back."

"If she wants to get herself a drink, let her." Willow said. Jacqeus glanced over at her, and Weiss felt a smile tug at her lips. Jacques snorted, and turned back to the businessman.

"Fine. Bring your mother something harder while you're at it."

"-but companies like the SDC promised jobs." Jacques winning smile materialized.

"My apologies, I tuned out for a moment, but it sounds like I'm the good guy again, hm?"

Weiss flashed her mother a smile as the business couple laughed. Willow smiled back before grimacing as she returned her attention to Jacques conversation.

Weiss made her way through the crowd of people, a hand on her wrist as she approached the paintings. They were roped off, a plaque standing before the paintings. She stopped at the red ropes, her shoulder's sagging as she looked at the Beacon painting.

They had captured its likeness perfectly. The spiraling steel gray pillars with their black tiled roofs. The yellow orbs that floated around the CCT. The soft green grass, the gurgling water gardens. The billowing red banners on the lampposts. The leaves on the trees were beginning to turn red; she sighed. The autumn chill, and the falling leaves. Competing alongside her friends, spending time at the fairgrounds with Bla-

"It's beautiful."

Weiss glanced to her side; a finely dressed man with blue hair stood next to her, admiring the paintings. He looked at her, and smiled.

"You two match." Weiss rolled her eyes. The man's smile faltered, and he rubbed the back of his head. "Sooo, that was me trying to break the ice. How am I doing so far?"

"I'm gay." Disappointment, and confusion flashed in his eyes. He leaned against the rope, looking at the paintings.

"I've always appreciated honesty, and I can see why you'd be into women." He flashed her a smile. "But there's a first time for everyone." He held out his hands, she cocked an eyebrow at the fake silver rings adoring his fingers. "Henry Merigold." She looked at his face.

"You already know who I am. You wouldn't have come to talk to me if you didn't."

He chuckled and withdrew his hand.

"You've got me there. You're Weiss Schnee." He brushed a stray hair behind his ear, and cleared his throat. "I saw your performance. It was…" he paused for a moment, struggling to find the word. "Wonderful? I was really surprised by it. I wouldn't have expected a song like that from a girl like you."

She said nothing, and crossed her arms, looking back at the painting.

"You seem to really like that painting. Thinking about buying it?"

"No."

"Makes sense. It seems kinda pricey." He chortled. "Who'd want to spend that much on a silly painting?" She glared at him. He was leaning against the ropes, looking at the price tag on the paintings frame.

"It's for charity." He looked at her, arching an eyebrow.

"Really? For who?" She stared at him in disbelief, and snarled.

"'For who?!'" He shrugged, and grabbed a shrimp cocktail off the tray of a passing server. He stirred one of the shrimp in the sauce.

"I'll be honest with you; I only come to these things for the food and drinks." He winked at her, and bit into the shrimp. "And the company as well." He finished the shrimp off, and chuckled. "So what, are those beggars in Mantle looking for another handout?"

She balled her hands into fists, feeling them tremble.

"Get. Out." She said, glaring at him. He cocked and eyebrow, and laughed nervously.

"What?"

"Get out. Or I will have security drag you out." He was taken back, looking at her in confusion.

"I haven't done any-"

"Leave!" she shouted, stomping her foot down. She saw people glance over at them, pausing in their conversations. He scoffed, and turned to leave.

"Whatever. Not worth my time anyway." He said as he left.

She turned to the painting's crossing her arms, her hands still trembling. She took a deep breath, and exhaled. She looked at the plaque, and shook her head.

 **All proceeds go to the Kingdom of Vale**

 **Show the world how Atlas cares**

"Deplorable, isn't it?" Her eyes widened, and she looked to her side, resisting the urge to vomit. Maximus stood next to her, looking at the paintings. He looked at her, and smiled. "That little leech should have known he wouldn't get very far with you. You've got too much fire in you for a man like him." She could spell alcohol on him, he gripped her shoulder, she didn't bother hiding the disgust on her face. "My wife used to have a fire in her like you did. I'm sure she would have loved your song."

Weiss looked behind her, finding Willow in the crowd of people. Willow looked up from her glass, and narrowed her eyes when she looked in Weiss' direction. Willow began to march over to them, sidestepping people. Weiss looked back at the painting, prying Maximus' hand off her shoulder.

"Maximus, how are you doing?" Maximus grimaced before putting on a fake smile as he turned to face her mother.

"I'm doing splendid, Willow. Just giving your daughter some company. She seemed like she needed it."

"I'm sure she didn't." Willow grabbed Maximus' arm, Weiss smiled at the discomfort on his face as Willow squeezed. Willow smiled politely. "I think my dear husband was looking for you earlier actually. Wanted to talk business or some other thing."

Weiss sighed in relief as her mother dragged him away. She turned back to the painting, closing her eyes. The crowd was so loud, all of them talking over each other.

"-this isn't a double!"

"I wonder if the Atlas Council will start a Faunus curfew-"

"Look at this beauty, seven hundred fifty-nine horsepower, and the paint-"

"- really a surprise what happened to Vale?"

Weiss' eyes shot opened, and she looked behind her, her lip twitching. A woman was sipping on from a champagne glass, hanging off her husband's arm as they talked to another couple.

"I say that they've had it coming for a long time."

"Honey, stop. You're drunk." The woman giggled.

"Oh stop it, you were saying the same things last night." She took another sip from her glass. "They're so arrogant, those Valian's. Thinking they're better because they were nicer to the Faunus. And look where that got them. If they had that curfew from the beginning, or if they had a proper military, they wouldn't have ended up as much of a hellhole as Vacuo is."

"Shut up!"

All of the conversation's ceased, the crowd staring at her in shock. She saw her father narrow his eyes, and Willow looking at her in concern. Whitley was smiling. Weiss scowled, slowly stepping toward the woman.

"You have no idea what it was like! None of you do!" she shouted. "You're all so wrapped up in your stupid meaningless lives that you can't even begin to care about what happened in Vale!" The Drunk Wife snorted, and rolled her eyes. Weiss snarled. "I was there! I saw what happened! Do any of you know what it's like?!" Weiss screamed. "To see the people you love get killed! To see your home burning! To see innocent people being butchered by monsters!"

"Answer me!" She slammed her foot down, a spark of electricity shooting through her. A white light glowed beneath her, and her eyes widened as snowflakes drifted past her. The crowd began to scream, some running to the doors. Weiss tentatively looked back; a snow white beowolf towered behind her. It growled, and leapt over her head, landing in front of the Drunk Wife.

The Wife screamed, tripping and falling as she tried to run. The wolf licked it's lips, and lunged, its claws thrown out. Fresh screams erupted as gunfire rang out. The wolf landed, growling, white blood spurting as several shots ripped into its chest. A strangled growl came from it as a shot blew a hole in it's head. It slumped to the floor, white blood pooling as it disintegrated into a flurry of snowflakes.

Weiss fell to her knees, her body feeling like lead, and looked over. General Ironwood stood near the window, smoke drifting from the barrel of his revolver.

The Wife struggled to her feet, hyperventilating. She shoved a finger at Weiss, screaming at Ironwood.

"Arrest her! She's insane!" Ironwood holstered his revolver.

"She's the only one making any sense around here." He looked over at Weiss, and nodded at her. He walked through the crowd, leaving. "Thanks for the party."

Weiss staggered to her feet, her head swimming. She saw her father scowling.

* * *

Ruby stifled a yawn. Keeping watch sucked. She glanced at her sleeping teammates. Pyrrha was mumbling in her sleep, a look of pain on her face.

Ruby's head jerked up, scanning the darkness as an animal cried out.

The animal sounded like it was in pain. Ruby gripped her scythe, and looked at her team mates before stepping into the darkness. She kept a hand on her holstered scythe as she walked through the abandoned town.

The animal was whimpering now, it's cries the only sound in the town.

Ruby stopped in front of one of the buildings, the animal's whimpers growing louder. She could see moonlight filtering from the unfinished roof. She took a breath, and entered the building.

The boards squeaked as she walked, dust kicking up. She walked slowly, her head swiveling to and fro as she glanced into the various unfinished rooms. She stopped in a hallway, the moonlight illuminating it; the animal had stopped whimpering. The crossbeams above her casted long shadows. She squinted as one of the crossbeam shadows appeared to move. She looked up. The moon and the barren wooden beams looked back at her. She shrugged, and looked-

Her eyes shot wide, a gasp ripping from her lips as she was flung against the wall. She was pulled to her feet, a hand wrapped around her throat, choking her. She gasped for air, crying out as a set of metal claws shot into the wood around her neck.

"Shhhh, quiet my little flower."

A hand covered her lips, Ruby's eyes widened in fear, struggling to breath. A woman with dark braided hair stood before her, a scorpion tail swishing in the air. He purple eyes glowed in the darkness. The woman smiled.

"I've come to take you to a better place. One where you can join your mother." The woman cocked her head to the side, her smile growing, chilling Ruby. "Oh I wish dear Cinder had told me you were this cute." She felt the stinger trail up her leg, Ruby tried to scream, her cries muffled by the woman's hand. "No need to scream, dear flower. I'll save my fun with you for after you've left." Ruby tried to thrash, unable to move, the blades cutting against her aura. Ruby felt tears welling as the woman's tail was pulled back, the stinger in the air, aimed at her. The woman giggled.

"Goodbye," she said.

The woman grunted in pain as a figure slammed into her, her hand being ripped from Ruby's throat, the claws raking across her face. Ruby jumped away from the wall, her scythe springing out. Pyrrha was struggling against the woman, dodging her tail as she beat into her face.

"Run!" Pyrrha screamed.

Ruby bolted, dashing through the entrance of the building. Ren and Nora were running up to the building, their weapons drawn.

"What's happening?"

Pyrrha bolted through the doorway, her spear drawn. Pyrrha spun around, shoving her spear forward.

"Nora! The building!"

Nora fired, explosions erupting throughout the building, the unfinished walls splintering and collapsing, the roof caving in. Flames spread, consuming the remains of the building. Ruby sighed.

She saw Pyrrha tighten the grip on her spear as parts of the ruble moved. The burning beams parted, the woman rising. The flames illuminated her, her eyes glowing yellow. She smirked at them, and waved, her claws catching the lights of the fires.

"Nora, Ren. Get her out of here."

"But-!"

The woman lunged forward, laughing. Pyrrha leapt in front of her, swinging her spear, catching the woman's claws, sparks flying. Pyrrha slid against the cobblestone as the woman pushed forward.

"GO!" Pyrrha shouted.

Ruby hesitated, but nodded at Pyrrha, turning and running, holstering her scythe. She heard Nora and Ren run after her.

* * *

Pyrrha grit her teeth, struggling against the woman's claws. The woman smiled at her, her stinger shooting forward. Pyrrha gasped, yanking her spear free, sidestepping the stinger. She grunted as the woman spun around, her boot slamming into her face, hurling her to the ground, the wind ripping from her lungs.

She rolled to the side, the stinger slamming into the stone. She sprung to her feet, charging at her with a yell. The woman smirked, throwing her claws up, catching the tip of her spear. Échthra shook as she struggled to shove it forward. The woman laughed, ripping her claws down, yanking her spear down, lunging forward. Pyrrha gasped, the claws flashing as they ripped her throat open.

* * *

Blood gushed down the girl's armor; Tyrian smirked as the girl slumped to the ground, her spear clattering against the cobblestone.

She turned away, licking the blood from her claws. Her little flower couldn't have gotten too far. She stopped when she heard a garbled laugh. She looked back, her smile growing.

The girl struggled to her feet, her aura red as it flickered around her, the gash in her throat sealing itself. The girl spat a glob of blood, and smirked; her teeth stained red. The girl kicked her spear up, the staff splitting into two as she caught it. She took a stance, her sword's raised.

Tyrian clapped giddily, and giggled.

"Oh what fun we'll have!"

* * *

Pyrrha charged forward, sparks flying as their blades met. The woman cackled, slashing at her with her claws, Pyrrha gritting her teeth as she parried, swinging at each other with blinding speed. The stinger shot forward, Pyrrha spun to her side, leaping at the woman with a yell, swinging her blades. The woman danced to the side, her swords slashing into the stone.

Pyrrha lunged at her, swinging, slashing, the sparks raining down as they caught each other's blows. The woman laughed, leaping into the air, spinning and contorting, gunfire raining down from her claws. Pyrrha swung her arm, the bullets glowing black. The woman landed, spinning on her heel, confusion on her face. Pyrrha smirked, and swung her arm, the bullets shooting forth. The woman yelped, grunting in pain as the gunfire rained on her, her aura crackling purple.

Pyrrha stabbed at her, the woman grunting in pain. Pyrrha smirked, slashing up, spinning with the momentum, and slamming her boot into the woman's neck.

The woman yelled as she was flung aside. Pyrrha swung her arm, the woman's claws glowing black. She grit her teeth, sweat dripping down as she lifted the woman into the air. She swung her arm with a yell, the woman screaming as she was hurled through a building.

Dust, glass, and wood flew into the air as the building crumpled to the ground. Pyrrha scowled as the woman rose from the rubble, craning her neck. The woman smiled at her, a glint in her eyes. The woman unlaced her claws, letting them fall into the rubble.

"You've made this so exciting."

The woman grabbed a sharp piece of wood, and a shard of glass. Pyrrha frowned. The woman smirked, and charged at her.

Pyrrha swung at her, the woman laughing as she ducked under the blades, her spine contorting. Pyrrha screamed as the glass was slammed into her thigh, blood gushing down. The woman leapt out of the way as Pyrrha slashed at her, grimacing, pain shooting up her leg. Her aura crackled around her, she grit her teeth as the wound sealed, the glass still embeded.

The woman lunged at her, spinning and dancing around her blades as Pyrrha slashed at her. Stars erupted in her vision as the woman slammed her fist into her nose. She staggered back, grunting as the woman kicked her in the gut. She gasped, trying to move aside, pain shooting through her as the woman's stinger shot out at her, blood spurting from her arm as it slashed against her. Mirth was in the woman's yellow eyes, a laugh escaping her lips as the woman spun, kicking her in the leg, fire shooting through Pyrrha as the glass shattered against her skin.

She screamed, the woman's fists slamming into her gut, her armor pounding against her flesh. She staggered back, raising her swords. The woman laughed, and lunged. Pyrrha swung, screaming as the woman dodged, the piece of wood being stabbed into her arm. Blood flowed down her arm, her aura crackling as the wound sealed.

Pyrrha's breathing was ragged, her body on fire, she struggled to raise her arm, her sword trembling in her hand. She glowered at the woman as she stood to the side, snickering at her. Pyrrha screamed and charged, swinging her remaining sword.

The woman smirked, stepping to the side, her tail shooting out, coiling around her throat. Pyrrha gagged, her swords clattering to the groun, grasping at the tail with her good hand. She fell to her knees, struggling, clawing at the tail as it tightened around her throat.

"Shhhh, don't fight it. It's time to sleep."

Pyrrha gasped, her vision darkening, her lungs screaming for air. She felt tears running down, her head spinning. She felt herself collapse, the world darkening.

* * *

Nora skidded to a halt, looking back as Pyrrha's screams cut through the air. She glanced at Ruby and Ren. Ruby was staring at the village, her hands shaking. She swallowed, and unholstered her scythe, running back to the village.

Nora ran after her, Magnhild's hammer springing forth.

* * *

Ruby slid to a stop, her breath hitching. Pyrrha lay on the ground, blood coating her body, a large piece of wood sticking from her arm. Ren and Nora rushed past her, Ren skidding on his knees as he slid next to Pyrrha. Nora grimaced, setting her hammer aside as she looked over Pyrrha's wounds. She looked up, her eyes widening in horror, her mouth falling open.

"Surprise!"

Ruby screamed, stumbling backwards, falling to the ground as the woman lunged down at her. She scrambled back, the woman's claws embedding into the stone. The woman smiled at her, specks of blood coating her face. The woman jerked her claws free, her yellow eyes turning purple. Ruby heard a cawing, trying to grab her scythe as the woman's tail shot forward.

Ruby gasped, her eyes going wide as the stinger slammed into a red and gray scythe.

Qrow stood before her, snarling, struggling against the stinger. The woman cocked her head to the side, confused.

"She won't take her too!" Qrow screamed.


	67. Punished

**And here's the next chapter. I completely forgot how long Qrow v Tyrian was :"D**

Oscar leaned back into his pillow, flipping the page of his book. His lantern flickered, casting the room in an orange, wavering haze. He could hear crickets chirping loudly from outside.

"Oscar! It's supper time!" His aunt shouted. He dog eared the page.

"What are we having?" he shouted back.

"Food. Now get down here." He rolled his eyes, setting the book on the nightstand.

 _Oscar. We need to leave._

Oscar frowned, standing up from his bed.

"I already decided that you're not real so I'm not going to listen to you."

 _I understand what you're feeling. I went through the same confusion and fear when it happened to me. But I can assure you, you're perfectly sane._

Oscar shook his head.

"I'm arguing with a voice in my head." he said. The voice paused for a moment.

 _You don't have to be normal to be sane._

"Shut up!"

 _Oscar. Please listen. I know that it is hard to believe but you have to remain calm and listen to me. Our soul's are one now, and I wish that this were not the case but it is, and we both have to deal with it._

"I said stop talking to me."

 _I have a grave responsibility to uphold. We need to get to Mistral City before it is too late._

Oscar swallowed, his throat dry, and sat down on his bed, struggling to stand.

"I didn't sign up for anything. Why do I have to be a part of this?"

 _You didn't. And I didn't either, when it first happened to me. But you can't turn your back on this, Oscar._

"Why?"

 _It's an opportunity._

"For what?"

 _Greatness. A chance for you to leave this farm. To make something with your life. To help others. To make a mark on this world. It won't be easy, of course, there will be many trials, and hard-_

"Get out of my head!" Oscar screamed.

The voice grew quiet, but he could feel it; tendrils on the edge of his mind. He got to his feet, clutching his head, shaking it.

"Oscar! I said its supper time!"

He slowly let go, looking at the door. He sighed, going to it, his stomach rumbling.

* * *

Her father paced in front of her, flexing his hands, seething. Weiss swallowed, her head lowered. Her moth stood across from her, rubbing her forehead.

"Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable."

"Jacquess-"

"Don't 'Jacques' me! Do you have any idea how much her little stunt cost us?!"

"I'm sure we'll be fine if we lose a couple million."

"I'm not talking about Lien!" Weiss shrunk back as her father jabbed a finger at her. "She ruined our reputation!" Willow frowned, and crossed her arms.

"Ours? Or yours?" Anger flashed in her father's eyes, his hand twitching as he glowered at her. Weiss stood up, her heart thumping against her chest.

"I want to leave." She said. Her parents looked at her. Her father frowned.

"I beg your pardon?" her father asked. Weiss hid her trembling hands behind her back.

"I said I want to leave. I don't want to stay here anymore. I want to go home. To Vale." Weiss grasped her hands, pain in her heart at the look her mother gave her. Willow's lip parted as she looked at her. Jacques furrowed his brow.

"I don't give a damn what you want, young lady. This isn't about you or whatever stupid fairy tale you have stuck in your head. This is about the Schnee family name and you ruining this family!" Weiss scowled, stepping towards her father.

"Me? I'm not the one who ruined this family." Her father snorted.

"Oh? And what would you call that little stunt you did for that song? Hm? You've been doing nothing but raking our family name through the mud!"

"A family you married into to!"

Weiss flinched as her father's hand shot out. He grunted as a hand grabbed his wrist, yanking his arm away from Weiss' face. Willow scowled at him, her gripe a vice on his skeletal wrist. Jacques sneered, and yanked his hand free.

"Weiss is right, Jacques. And you need to remember whose family this truly is." Jacques growled, turning away from Weiss.

"I can't expect a drunk like you to understand the lengths I've gone to to keep this family where it is. The things I've had to see because of those damn Animals in the White Fang. But her," he shoved a finger at Weiss "little tangent of teenage rebellion has done serious harm to our brand image. It's going to take me a long time to fix our standing with the press. To find new partners while I deal with this embargo."

"The Schnee family is not some brand for you to sell! It's my family's legacy. And you're not going to be the one to fix it." Weiss said. Her parents looked at her. "I am going to do that the way I know how. As a Hunter. Just like my grandfather." Willow bit her lip, and Jacques stared at her with cold eyes.

"No. You won't. You're to remain here, in this mansion, until I can find you a proper husband and get you out of my hair." Willow frowned.

"I'm not going to let you marry her off to Maximus. He's too old! And Weiss is…" Willow trailed off, glancing at Weiss. Jacques narrowed his eyes, looking between the two of them.

"Weiss is what?" Willow chewed on her lip. Weiss stepped forward.

"I'm gay." Jacques cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm sure Maximus will be able to fix that." Weiss' mouth fell open, her eyes widening in shock.

"Jacques!" Willow yelled.

"We'll be lucky if even _he_ wants to marry her after the stunt she pulled. Whatever silly notions Weiss has in her head about women, I'm sure will be fixed once she's had a taste of the real world." Jacques said. Weiss scowled, gnashing her teeth together.

"You can't do this! I'm the Heiress to this company! You can't just… just… I'm a person, you can't treat me like this!" Willow looked away as Jacques pulled his scroll out. Weiss eyed it, glancing at her father's face, at the blank mask he wore.

"I can. You're my daughter. And no longer my heir." Weiss' eyes widened, dread shooting through her.

"Excuse me?"

"It's become apparent that the trauma you received during the Fall was greater than any of us could have imagined. I would have chocked your misbehavior up to your hormones but your sibling has shown us just how damaged your mind has become."

"What are you-?" The words died on her tongue as her father pressed on his scroll, a recording playing on the screen.

She saw herself walking toward her night stand, her sleeve rolled up, a trickle of blood on her scar covered arm. She held the razor in her hand.

"Mirror, tell me something. Who's the loneliest of all?"

Her reflection didn't answer, the Weiss in the mirror mimicking her expressions.

"Can a heart be turned to stone?" Her reflection didn't answer. Weiss stepped closer to the dresser, shifting the razor in her hand. "Why wouldn't you let me hide from me?" No response. Weiss snorted, and smirked at the glass. "Mirror, what's this thing I see? Who is staring back at me? A stranger to my heart has filled my mind." Nothing. Weiss regripped the razor, sneering at the mirror. "Mirror, help me." Weiss pulled her arm back, raising the razor into the air. "Who am I?!" Weiss shouted.

The mirror remained silent.

Weiss hurled the razor, smiling as the glass shattered, shards flying into the air. Her smile fell after a moment.

"You're right. I can't get rid of you. But that doesn't mean that I need to listen to you anymore." Weiss shut her eyes, taking a deep breath. The recording ended, frozen on the image of her exhaling, opening her eyes.

Weiss fell to her knees, her legs feeling like gelatin, her eyes watering. Willow came to her side, wrapping an arm around her.

 _Why…_

 _I… I had been so careful_

"When your sibling showed us that footage, your mother wanted to send you to a," her father threw up air quotes "'doctor', to get treatment."

"It's what she needs, Jacques! We can't just get rid of her and marry her off! She's our daughter, and she needs help!"

"Do you have any idea how much worse our image would look if news leaked that a member of the Schnee family was in a psych ward?"

"Fuck our image!" Willow shouted. Willow grabbed the sides of Weiss' face, her touch gently as she made Weiss look at her. "Weiss, sweetie, what do you see in the mirror? Who were you talking to?" Weiss' eyes darted to her shattered nightstand as she heard Mirror giggle. Willow looked at the mirror, gripping Weiss' face. "Is it there, Weiss?"

Mirror smiled at her, resting a hand on her lips as she laughed. Weiss squeezed her eyes shut, taking a deep breath.

"She's there."

"What is she like?"

"Her… her name is Mirror. She looks, and sounds like me. Only she… she…" Weiss trailed off, Mirror's laughter growing.

Weiss opened her eyes as her mother hugged her. Her father's face betrayed no emotion as he looked down on them. He straightened his tie.

"Until your mother and I can come to an agreement on your future, you're to remain here at the estate. You're not allowed to leave without our permission, and the staff will make sure you are here at all times."

Her father turned to leave, pausing as he opened the door, lingering in the doorway. Her mother gave her one final hug before getting to her feet. She wiped at her eyes.

"I… I understand if you're angry with me, Weiss. But after what happened, I just want you to be okay. I want you to be safe." Weiss said nothing, looking away. She heard her mother leave, and her door click shut.

* * *

Whitley glanced at the clock on his wall. Five…Four….

The door flew open, smashing against his wall.

"WHITLEY!" Weiss yelled. Whitley smiled at her politely.

"You're early, dear sister."

Weiss stormed in, her heels clicking angrily against the tiles. Her icy eyes were filled with wrath.

"Why would you do that?!" Weiss demanded. Whitley shrugged, keeping his hands behind his back. Weiss snarled, narrowing her eyes at him, crossing her arms.

"I had a feeling that you would do something to anger father during your concert; I just kept that little conversation between you and your friend as a way to get mother to agree to his terms." The wrath turned to disbelief.

"You… you wanted this to happen? Why?"

"I'm doing you a favor, Weiss. You can rest easy knowing the Schnee family name will be in my hands. You can spend your days helping people the best way you know how." Weiss looked away, rubbing her wrists.

"I won't be able to help anyone if they have their way." Whitley smiled, pulling the sword case out from behind him.

"You expect me to believe that Weiss Schnee is going to just sit around and wait to be sent off to an asylum or get married off to an old pervert?" Weiss stared at the case, hesitating before taking it from him. She popped the locks, opening it, her eyes widening as she looked at her sword.

"H-how-?" Weiss looked up from Myrtenaster. "Where-?"

"It's amazing the things you can find in Father's office when he's not around. He stowed that away so long ago, I'm sure he won't miss it." Weiss eyed him, closing the sword case.

"Why are you helping me?" He laughed, hoping it sounded sincere.

"I just want what's best for you, dear sister. Becoming the Heir was nothing personal. It was just business." Weiss narrowed her eyes at him before turning and leaving. A glyph materialized on his door a few seconds later, the door swinging shut.

Whitley chuckled.

* * *

She set her sword case on her nightstand, smiling as she popped the locks on it. She grabbed Myrtenaster's handle, enjoying the familiar weight of its cold steel grip. She lifted the sword up, holding it in front of her.

Time to get back into perfect form.

* * *

Tyrian's tail darted back, sliding behind her, swishing in the air. She cocked her head to the side in confusion, looking him over.

"Qrow? What are you doing here?" Qrow scowled, taking a stance, the end of his scythe pointed at her. Tyrian frowned, looking at Ruby. "Why are you protecting that unholy creature?" Tyrian's arm shot behind her, grabbing Nora's hammer as it swung down; Nora grunted in surprise, dangling in the air. Tyrian's lips parted, narrowing her eyes at him. "Have you," she limply tossed Nora aside; Nora screamed as she was flung into the nearby building. "Betrayed our Goddess?"

"Ruby. Run." Qrow said.

"Bu-!"

She lunged forward, laughing. He swung, sparks flying as her claws slammed into his scythe. She yanked her claws free, swinging at his gut, her tail shooting at his head. He ducked, the stinger shooting past, knocking her claws aside.

She danced back as he swung at her, chortling. She leapt at him, swinging her leg. Qrow spun aside, whirling his scythe. Tyrian laughed, contorting and spinning against the ground, launching up, kicking his scythe away. She lunged at him, slashing with her claws. He yelled, slamming his scythe against her, launching her into the air.

She flipped in the air, skidding against the ground, raking her claws against the stone as she landed, smiling. Qrow rushed forward, running past Ruby's friends, leaping at her with a yell.

Tyrian darted aside, Qrow's scythe slamming into the ground. He yanked it free, her stinger slamming into his blade. He grunted, Tyrian's stinger darting back, her claws shooting out. He grit his teeth, her claws raking over his blade. He shoved forward, knocking her back. He swung, spinning with the blade, his leg shooting out.

She laughed, sliding beneath him, springing up behind him. He swung his scythe behind him, a jolt going up his arm as he claws slammed into it. He spun around, knocking her tail aside as it rushed past his head. He grit his teeth, whirling his scythe, her tail clinking against it.

He swung his scythe down, yelling, sparks erupting as her claws caught his blade. He snarled, shoving down, his lip curling as her legs buckled, forcing her to her knees. She smirked at him, glancing aside, at where Ruby was.

Gunfire rained from her claws. Qrow gasped, yanking his scythe free, leaping in front of the hail, twirling his scythe, snarling as the flames and sparks rushed past him. Tyrian laughed, running around him. Qrow spun, keeping pace, his scythe a blur.

* * *

Ren darted forward; her back was to them. He leapt forward, Storm Flower raised. Tyrian's spine bent, looking up at him with a smile. She flipped; Ren gasped, his blades slicing thin air. He yelled as her foot slammed into his head, grunting as she spun around, her claws slashed against his chest. He felt the air get ripped from his lungs as she kicked him to the ground, rushing past him, laughing.

* * *

He leapt in front of Tyrian, catching her claws with his scythe. He grunted, his arms trembling as she shoved against him. He glanced back at them.

"Stay back!" he shouted.

* * *

Ruby scowled, watching her uncle force the woman away from them. She ran over to a nearby building, her rifle popping into place as she began to climb to the roof.

* * *

Qrow raised his scythe as Tyrian vaulted over him, landing, and her stinger darting out at him. He sidestepped it, snarling as Tyrian leapt at him, twirling in the air, sparks jumping as her claws ripped across his scythe. He ducked as her leg shot out, slicing at her; she laughed as she dodged his swings, flattening herself against the ground before springing into the air, firing at him. He whirled his scythe, the shrapnel flying past him. Her tail shot into the ground; she laughed, bullets raining from her wrists, balancing on her tail. He leapt aside, pulling the trigger on his scythe.

She launched herself into the air, the shotgun blast shooting past her. She spun in the air, landing on her feet, her tail shooting at him.

He raised his scythe, gasping as her tail wrapped around his staff, ripping it from his grasp, flinging it aside, embedding into the side of a building.

She smirked, lunging at him. He ducked under her swings, sprinting to his weapon. He grunted, falling to the ground. He glanced back, her tail was wrapped around his ankle. She waved at him, her smirk growing.

There was a crack of thunder, dust and stone flying into the air next to her. Tyrian's smile fell, looking up at one of the buildings. Her tail released his leg as she danced aside, smirking as Ruby fired at her, dust and stone raining around her.

Qrow bolted, grabbing the staff of his scythe, glancing back.

Tyrian lunged at him, her claws embedding into the wall. He leapt onto his scythe, spring boarding from it, and yanking it free, grabbing the roof of the building before yanking himself up.

He spun around as she leapt into the air, slashing down with her claws. He slid against the tiles, sparks falling onto him. Tyrian backflipped off his scythe, landing and spinning, lunging at him. He jumped away, whirling to face her. Tyrian fell through a hole in the roof, her tail darting out, catching a beam. She spun up, firing at him as she launched herself up. He spun his scythe, slicing the bullets, gritting his teeth and throwing his scythe forward, catching her blow as she landed.

They caught each other's blows, grunting, sparks illuminating the darkness as they slashed and hacked at each other. Qrow dodged a slash, leaping back, landing near the edge of the roof. Tyrian sprinted forward, yelping as the ground gave way beneath her. Qrow gasped, yelling as her tail darted around his ankle, yanking him down into the darkness.

* * *

Ruby watched the roof collapse, and snarled. She leapt from the roof, rose petals trailing in the air as she rushed to building.

* * *

Qrow grunted as her foot slammed into his chest. The wall behind him shattered, stones flying as he was flung through the air. He hurled his scythe, slamming into its staff, stones flying as he skidded. He stood up, balancing on his weapon, his aura crackling crimson.

Tyrian lunged from the smoke, laughing.

* * *

Ruby darted in front of her uncle, grimacing as the woman's claws hit her scythe.

"Ruby! I told you to run!"

"This is my fight too!"

The woman yanked her claws free, her leg shooting out and slamming into Qrow's chest as he rushed her. Ruby swung, the woman's stinger bouncing off of her scythe blade. She slashed at the woman, grimacing as the woman's claws slammed against her scythe. She yanked her weapon free, gasping as the stinger shot forward.

Qrow lunged between them, knocking the stinger aisde, catching the woman's claws as she swung at him. Ruby darted forward, screaming as she swung her scythe. The woman smiled, yanking one of her claws free, catching her blade, sparks raining down. The woman glanced at Qrow, smirking. The woman yanking her claw free, Qrow stumbling.

Ruby gasped as the woman's boot slammed into her face, launching her backwards, skidding against the hard stones. Ruby groaned, rising to her feet, gripping her scythe.

"Ruby!"

Her eyes widened in shock as a wood pillar fell from the roof. She grunted as she was tackled to the ground, the stones digging into her back. Her uncle released her, getting to his feet, spinning to face-

Qrow screamed, the stinger stabbing into his stomach. Ruby's eyes widened, her jaw dropping. The woman smirked, blood dripping onto the stones.

Ruby dashed forward, screaming, rose petals billowing as she swung her scythe. The woman screeched, blood and venom spurting into the air as her tail was sliced in half. The woman scurried back, hissing and screaming.

"You bitch!" she screamed.

Ruby glowered at the woman, stepping in front of her uncle, raising her scythe. Nora and Ren ran in front of her, their weapons raised. The woman grimaced, blood dripping from her tail. She was mumbling, her hands and neck twitching as she stared at them. The woman screamed at them, before turning and sprinting off, the darkness consuming her.

Ruby turned, dropping her scythe as her uncle fell to his knees.

"Uncle Qrow! Are you okay?" Her uncle grimaced before flashing her a smile, a hand going to his stomach. His breathing was labored, sweat coating his body.

"I'll be fine. I've had worse." Ruby felt her hands trembling as she saw his clothes grow dark with blood. She grabbed his shoulder's, leaning him against her.

"Uncle Qrow… what's going on? Who was that? Why are people after me?"

Her uncle didn't answer for a moment, his breathing labored. He looked up at her, smiling.

"What's your favorite fairy tale?"


	68. A Much Needed Talk

**And here's the next chapter.**

Pyrrha hissed, gripping the log she sat on as Ren's tweezer's dug through her skin. He pulled a blood stained shard of glass free of her thigh, dropping it into the grass. She rubbed her arm; looking at the large scar the wood shard had left.

She looked up as the fire crackled, a log popping. Qrow was taking a swig from his flask, his shirt and coat missing, a large bandage wrapped around his stomach. The bandages were a dark red where the stinger had impaled him. Qrow's hands were shaking as he set his flask on the log, gripping the wood a moment later.

"So… these Maidens… they have special abilities, and can do things without using Dust or their semblance?" Ruby asked.

"Long and short of it, yeah."

"And there's four of them?" Nora asked.

"Yep. Always."

"And Ruby is…. Some kind of mythical warrior?" Nora asked.

"Yeah." Nora frowned, glancing at Pyrrha.

"And you tried to force Pyrrha into being one of these Maidens."

"No." Nora looked over at her. Pyrrha shook her head, Ren moving away, finished picking at her. "I made a choice. I thought it was my destiny to protect Remnant, to save our school. And I thought I could do that with those powers." Pyrrha snorted, shaking her head. "But I was wrong." Nora looked away, grumbling, crossing her arms.

"That woman. Tyrian. Why did she attack me? Why did she know you?" Qrow took a swig from his flask, his eyes closed.

"I was a spy," he said. "Ozpin had me infiltrate the enemy's inner circle, and keep tabs on their plans. The woman Tyrian works for, Salem, she hates the Silver Eyed Warriors; she's spent the better part of Remnant's history hunting down and wiping them out. When she got news that you not only existed, but were able to use your powers, she sent Tyrian out to find you. And kill you. I've been following you lot, trying to catch up, and get you somewhere safe before she could do that."

Nora stood up

"What is all of this? Ruby's being hunted by some crazy lady, our school was attacked over a fairy tale? Will you tell us what is going on?" Nora said. Qrow frowned, and motioned to the log.

"Take a seat, kid. You're stressing me out."

Nora frowned, but sat. Qrow sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"When I joined this fight, Ozpin showed me a whole bunch of crazy shit I never would have believed was real. He was always vague on the details but… he did tell us that the Gods, and all of that, are all very much real. I know the Followers of Dust and the Ishvarian's have their own takes on this story, but I'm going to tell you the way I interpret it. I know a lot of sects in the Brother's Church like to say that the Faunus are just Grimm Spawn but my sect, and a lot of the older ones, know that's a load of shit."

"Remnant was created by two brothers; the Brother of Light, Surya, and the Brother of Darkness, Chandra. Surya was responsible for the oceans, the forests, the lands rich for farming. Chandra created the deserts, the tundra's, the volcanic islands. Satisfied with the lands they had created, Surya created animals, filling the lands, and seas, and skies with his creations. Chandra mimicked his brother, creating his own creatures. They were dark, and fearsome beasts."

"The Grimm?" Ruby asked. Qrow watched the flames, at the long shadows it cast.

"That's what we call them now. But… according to Ozpin, they're not the _true_ Grimm."

Pyrrha's jaw dropped, her eyes widening. She glanced at the other's; she must have misheard, right? Ren's face was blank, Nora was staring at Qrow, suspicion in her eyes.

"Wanting to impress his older brother, Chandra made his own creation. He modeled them after himself, and gifted them the capacity for destruction. He named them, Grimm. The people of Grimm spread across Remnant, inhabiting many lands that Surya's animals found too harsh to survive in, and formed their own kingdoms."

"Not one to be outdone, Surya decided to make his own creation, modeling them after himself, and gifted them the capacity for knowledge. He named them, Humans. The Humans prospered in the lands that Surya had created."

"But as luck would have it, the Grimm and the Humans didn't like each other very much. So Surya and Chandra created something together, to broker a truce between the two. This new creation would have the abilities of the Grimm, and the will of the Humans. The Brothers named them, Faunus, and gifted them the capacity of choice."

"This didn't go the way the Brother's would have hoped though. Able to choose for themselves, the Faunus sided with the Grimm, pushing humanity to the brink of extinction. With humanity all but crushed, the Grimm and Faunus turned on their creators, entering the Domain of the Gods. The Brother's, sickened by the behavior of their creations, expelled them from their Domain, and took away their gifts, and gave them to humanity. Chandra, weeping at what he had caused, wiped out most of the Grimm, and gifted humanity the capacity to create, before he and his brother sealed the Domain off, abandoning Remnant."

"So what does this have to do with us?" Ren asked.

"Those gifts that the Brothers gave their creations? They weren't just a metaphor. Destruction. Knowledge. Choice. Creation. The gifts left behind by the gods are physical objects, bestowing its wielder with unimaginable power. If one were to acquire all four, they would have the power to rewrite reality; they would become a god."

"Humanity has spent a good amount of time fighting over them, and after the Great War, it was decided that they were to be hidden, and locked away in places known as Vaults. With the rise of the Hunters, it was decided that the Hunter Academies would become the home of the Relics. Outside of being hidden within a large fortress teeming with elite warriors, the doors to the Vaults were made so they would only open to the touch of a Maiden, ensuring their safety."

"So… where does Salem fit in? Who is she?" Ruby asked.

"She's the Last Queen of the Grimm; a survivor of Chandra's purge. She wants the Relics so she can bring her people back. And wipe out humanity. It's in our best interest to make sure she doesn't get her hands on any of the Relics, or any of the other Maidens."

* * *

Blake leaned against the railing, chewing on her lip. She looked over when she heard one of the door's slide open. Blake smiled at her mother as she came walking up, carrying a tea tray.

" _You know you can go say hi, right_?" Kali asked. Blake looked at His door, and shook her head.

" _I'd just be bothering him_." Blake said. Kali cocked an eyebrow.

" _A father always has time for his daughter_." Blake rubbed her hand over her ribbon.

" _I don't think all of my friends would agree to that_."

Kali held out the tea tray. Blake cocked her head to the side as her mother forced it into her hands.

" _What? Where are you going? Mom?_ " Kali stopped at the doorway, and looked back with a mischievous grin.

" _You never were very talkative growing up. But you also never failed whenever we threw you in the deep end_."

The tea tray shook, her hands trembling as the door slide shut.

" _Kali? Was that you? Did you need something?_ " Blake swallowed, trying to steady her hands. She took a deep breath, exhaled, and went to the door.

* * *

Ghira adjusted his spectacles, reading over the documents the Albain twins had given him upon their arrival. He pinched the bridge of his nose; not even the High Leader anymore and still have to deal with so much paperwork.

He looked up, taking his spectacles off as he heard the door open.

" _Um. Hi. Dad_." Blake said, walking into the room. She had a tea tray with her. Ghira smiled.

" _Blake. Well this is a pleasant surprise_." He stood up, motioning to the plush purple couch. " _Come, please sit_." Blake hesitated before smiling at him and going to the couch, setting the tray onto the table.

Ghira went to the plush chair, scooting it up close to the table. Blake reached for the tea pot, Ghira placed his hand overtop it.

" _Please, allow me_." Blake gripped her knees, her bangs falling onto her face.

" _If I'm keeping you from work, I can-_ "

" _Nonsense, I've been cooped up in here all day_." He poured two cups, setting his down. He reached for the sugar, placing a cube into Blake's cup. She had always loved her tea so sweet when she was younger. He began to stir it, watching the sugar dissolve. " _You still like sugar in your tea, right_?" he asked. Blake looked at the sugar, his heart dropping at the brief disgust in Blake's eyes. Blake forced a smile, nodding.

" _I'll drink it_ ," she said.

He handed her the cup. She took a sip, grimacing for a second before smiling at him.

" _It tastes… great. Thanks, dad_." Ghira sighed, picking up his own cup, taking a long sip.

" _I'm sorry, Blake. I should have asked how you liked it first._ " He looked into his cup, at the bronze liquid. " _I remember when you were so young, you loved drinking it with so much sugar. I thought you might have still liked it that way_."

Blake was quiet. He blew on his cup before taking another sip. He perked up when he heard her sniff. He looked over at her, catching her wipe at her eyes. His lips parted.

" _Blake? What's wrong_?" Blake's hair covered her face, she sniffed again.

" _Why? Why are you sorry_?" she asked. Ghira rose from his seat, moving to the couch, sitting next to her. Blake turned away, her face obscured. " _How can you still love me? After everything I said to you?"_

" _Blake…_ "

" _I called you a traitor, a coward. And I thought that you must have hated me, when you yelled at me_." Ghira wrapped his arms around his daughter, feeling her tremble. She hiccupped.

" _I've never hated you_ ," Ghira said.

" _You should_." Ghira tightened his grip, squeezing her shoulder.

" _Your mother and I have always loved you, Blake. I knew that you were just angry. I shouldn't have yelled at you._ " He began to rock her. " _There was not a day that went by that I wasn't afraid I had forced you away forever. That you would think that you had no home to come back to. That you didn't have a family who cared about you_." Blake hiccupped.

" _You were right. I should have left the White Fang with you and mom. I shouldn't have run away with Adam_." She embraced him, burying her face in his chest, her tears running down. " _The things he made me do. I've… I've done so many horrible things. He.. he_ " Ghira stroked her hair as she sobbed.

" _It's okay, Blake. It's okay_."

" _It's not! How can you forgive me? I'm a coward. I'm a murderer_."

" _Because you're my daughter. You were led astray, Blake. And you had the strength to turn away from that path. You came back, you fought your demons every chance you were able to. You're strong, Blake, and courageous. Very few people are able to do what you've done._ "

Blake broke the hug, sniffling, and wiping at her eyes. She looked at the blue ribbon on her arm, smiling.

" _I didn't do it alone_ ," she said. Ghira nodded.

" _You didn't. And you never will_." He glanced at the ribbon, looking at Blake's face; the faraway longing in her eyes. He cocked an eyebrow. " _I've been meaning to ask. What was it like, living in Vale with that team of yours? Why did you decide to come here, and not help rebuild after the Fall_?" he asked.

Blake hesitated, grasping the ribbon before sighing.

Ghira looked up as the door slammed open, Sun jumping into the room.

"Yo, Blake, I-!" he paused, looking at them. He nervously rubbed the back of his head. "I'm interrupting something, aren't I?"

Ghira sighed. Blake scowled, her ears pinning back.

* * *

Nora glowered at Qrow.

"So, let's just say any of what you've just said is true. Why don't more people know? The Great War wasn't that long ago."

"You think the Relics would just be common knowledge? Like they wouldn't be kept a secret that only those who had the money and power to try and acquire them would know about? You've been on the road for what, seven months now? I'd thought you'd have figured out how things work outside the Walls of the Cities." Nora frowned as Qrow motioned with his flask.

"We're in the modern age and it's still a kill or be killed world outside of the Cities, kid. Some poor beggar in a town in the middle of bumfuck nowhere wouldn't know anything a hundred years ago, and they're not gonna know anything now." Nora got to her feet, snarling.

"Don't talk to me like that!"

"Then don't say stupid shit. If the whole world knew about the Relics, Maidens, and Salem, there would be complete and utter chaos. We'd be in a situation even worse than the Great War. You wonna be stuck fighting in that? I sure as hell don't."

"T-this is-!" She heard Ren get to his feet, feeling him grab her shoulder, a pink glow in the corner of her eye.

"Nora, calm down." She swatted his hand away, turning to face him, shoving a finger at Qrow.

"No, I won't calm down! This is bullshit!" She looked at Qrow. "How can you expect me to believe any of this? That what, magic, and gods are real? That my friend died over a stupid fairy tale!"

"Enough!" Pyrrha shouted, springing to her feet. Nora frowned.

"I won't pretend like I know what happened to you that night, Pyrrha, but none of this makes sense! How can any of that be real! The Grimm weren't people! They're just monsters! How do we know that woman, that Tyrian, wasn't just some White Fang assassin? They're the ones who attacked our school, right?"

"Kid, liste-"

"Shut up!" Nora shouted. "All of this is your fault! If any of that stuff is true, you're the reason why our school got attacked! You're the reason why Jaune is dead!"

Nora grunted in pain, Pyrrha's fist slamming into her face, hurling her to the ground.

"Guys! Don-!"

Nora growled as Pyrrha grabbed her by her jacket, hoisting her into the air, her feet dangling as she was brought eye level with her. Pyrrha sneered.

"It's not their fault. It's nobody's fault but my own. Everything he's told us, I've seen. I let him go with me; I knew I would die up there. Jaune's blood is on my hands, not his." Pyrrha's gaze softened. "So please calm down, and blame the person actually responsible."

Nora frowned, wrenching free of Pyrrha's grasp, grunting as she hit the grass. She scowled up at the taller woman.

"If it's all real, why didn't you tell us, huh?" she looked over at Ruby. Ruby was standing near the fire, playing with her hands as she watched them, her silver eyes bright in the darkness. "Why didn't you tell us any of that, _leader_. Why couldn't you trust Ren and I enough to let us in on it? That you and her some amazing mythical heroes."

"I… I didn't want to burden you two. I didn't know about the Maidens, and Pyrrha didn't know about my eyes. I wanted to keep it to myself, I didn't want any of you worrying about me, or thinking I was different then you." Nora snorted.

"Well look what good came from that." Nora said.

"Kid, can you do me a favor and please shut the fuck up." Nora frowned at him, at Ruby, and Pyrrha as they watched her. She shoved past Ren, the fire's light fading.

* * *

Ren tried to follow, grunting as he felt someone grab him. He looked back. Pyrrha had grabbed his wrist, shaking her head.

"She needs to cool off. Let her go for a moment." Ren looked back at his partner, watching her sulk in the nearby trees. He could hear her grunting as she punched one of the trees. He sighed, taking his seat on the log.

"So… do we have a plan?" Ruby asked. Qrow laughed, and took a swig from his flask.

"Nope." Ren stared at the man in confusion. "I was mostly focused on getting you to safety, maybe even finding a way to make sure you didn't get involved in this mess. But since you decided to run away from home and walk all the way through Anima, that part can't be helped." Qrow rubbed his chin. "Haven is Salem's next target. But with me no longer looking for the Spring Maiden, I don't know if she'll divert her attention to try and secure her first like she did with Beacon. If so, we could have a few years to prepare."

"And if she doesn't?" Ren asked. Qrow shrugged.

"Then she'll crush us like an ant." He took a swig. "I have a pretty good idea where the Spring Maiden is. If we head to Mistral City and warn Headmaster Lionheart, we may be able to use it as a base and try to hold out until the mess in Beacon is fixed. Headmistress Goodwitch is, well, you know how she is. But even that shit show will take a while to clean up." Qrow got to his feet, grabbing his shirt and coat and slipping it on. "Alright, I think it's time for you kids to get some rest. We got a lot of ground to cover tomorrow."

"Uncle Qrow?" Ren looked over at Ruby. She was staring into the fire, hesitating before looking up at her uncle. "When you showed up, you said, 'She won't take her too'. And said that Salem hates people with Silver Eyes. Did…" Ruby took a breath. "Did she kill my mom?"

Qrow was quiet, clenching and unclenching his hands.

"Do you know what your mom used to call me when we fought together?" Qrow asked. Ruby shook her head. "She used to call me her bad luck charm." Qrow chortled, the sound cold. "My semblance isn't a lot like others, Ruby. I bring misfortune to everyone around me, even the ones I love. I was beginning to work as a spy for Ozpin, and your mom and I got into a bit of a fight. After that your mom decided to cut all the secrecy crap and just go after Salem directly. That was the mission she left home for, all those years ago." Ren heard flapping, and the cawing of a raven. "Salem likes to work in the shadows, she rarely ever gets her hands dirty herself. So to answer your question, no, she personally didn't kill her. But a member of her inner circle did."

"Do…do you know who did it? Were… were you there for it?" There was another cawing, Qrow looking to the trees. He shook his head.

"I wasn't, and I don't know who did it. I was doing a job for Salem, and got back to find your mom's body. I managed to sneak it out, and bring it back home." Qrow closed his eyes, leaving the camp. "I'm pretty tired. Get some rest."

Ren watched him for a moment before looking at Ruby. Ruby was watching her uncle, an emotion he couldn't place swirling in her silver eyes. Ruby sighed, closing her eyes, and looking away.

* * *

Blake crossed her arms, cocking an eyebrow.

"What. What could be so important that you had to interrupt." She asked.

"That brand on your arm, only one branch of the White Fang did that right?" Sun asked. She frowned.

"That's what was so important."

"No! Well, kinda." Sun shook his head. "Neptune and I were down at the market the other day, and he noticed some girl had the same branding on her hand. She was trying to hide it with a glove."

"So?"

"So? So? Don't you think that's suspicious? What if she was sent here by that Adam guy." Blake rolled her eyes. Sun frowned.

"There are plenty of people here who used to be with the Fang. It's-" Blake's ears perked up; she looked aside, into the darkness of the trees.

"What is-" She held up a hand, squinting. A dark figure clung to one of the trees, a mask obscuring their eyes. The figure leapt from the tree, latching onto the one next to it.

Blake jumped onto the ledge, leaping from it and onto one of the tree's, grunting as she landed. The figure jumped to the nearest tree, barely grasping it before jumping to the next one. Blake grit her teeth, and chased after them.

* * *

Ruby's eyes slowly opened, covering her mouth as she yawned. Dawn's light was trickling through the leaves, dew coating the grass. Ren was folding his bedroll up, Pyrrha groggily getting to her feet, her tank top contorted, her armor laying in the grass. Nora was fiddling with the dead fire.

Ruby bolted upright, her eyes widening as her uncle started violently coughing. He was slouched against a tree on the outskirts of their camp. She got to her feet, running to his side as another coughing fit began. She stopped next to him, dread shooting through her.

He was drenched in sweat, his clothes wet and sticking to him. The veins on his arms had begun to turn a sickening purple, the spot where he had been stung was a purplish brown; the nauseating color staining his shirt and coat. Ruby fell to her knees as her uncle fell onto his hands, his body rocking and trembling as another fit hit him. Thick, violet mucus splattered against the grass.

Qrow wiped his lips, his hands trembling as he looked at the purple phlegm.

"Well," he looked over at Ruby, terror in his eyes as he forced a smile. "That's not too good now is it?"

 **Next up is Yang's last original content chapter for this Volume!**


	69. Everyday Struggle

**Lol, chapter 69**

The grass swayed against her legs, the wind blowing gently, the scent of spring flowers in the air. Yang clenched her hand, looking at the stone grave. She unclenched, sighing.

"Hey mom." She rubbed the back of her head, watching the white butterflies crawl over the stone, and dance in the air. "I uh, I don't really know what to say. I don't know what kind of stuff Ruby liked to talk about when she came here." She grasped her stump, drumming her fingers against it.

"So uh. How have you been, I guess?" The gentle breeze of the wind and the dancing of the butterflies was her response. She sighed, sitting down. "You know what mom? There was a time I really hated you." Her hair blew with the wind, shifting against her back. "I thought you must have hated me or something. Why else would you go on that mission and not come back when you promised you would? Why else would you make me have to replace you?" she shook her head, sighing. "I don't hate you anymore, I know I was just being stupid back then."

She was quiet for a moment, watching the white butterflies on her grave.

"Dad told me that he was in love with Raven and that she didn't really like him back for a while." She rested her chin on her knees. "Was it the same for you and him? Did you help set him up with her because you knew it would make him happy? And that other people's happiness is more important than your own?" She felt something warm slide down her cheeks. "Did you hate seeing them together?" She sniffed. "Did it kill you inside every time you saw them together? Knowing you had no one to blame but yourself?"

The butterflies flew off the grave, joining the rest in their dance.

"When Raven left…. what was it like?" she asked. "Did you feel betrayed? Were you afraid she was dead? Was she…" she closed her eyes. "Did Raven ever keep a huge secret from you? And that when you found out the truth, it made you question everything you knew about her? If she was really your best friend? A-and did you hate yourself for thinking that about her?"

She opened her eyes, staring at the grave, the butterflies still hovering above it. The wind blew again; Yang gasped at what felt like arms wrapping around her. She bolted upright, spinning around. The forest was empty; the grass swaying with the breeze. She looked back at the grave, the white butterflies having disappeared. She eyed the grave for a moment before turning to leave, clutching her stump.

* * *

She stumbled alongside him, her head swimming as she held onto his arm. Street lamps flickered to life as twilight descended.

"You should not have drunk that much," Yatsuhashi said. Velvet rolled her eyes, looking up at him with a smile.

"Come oooonnnn, we gotta loosen up a bit. We did that mishion, we deserved a reward." He grunted.

"I don't like seeing you drink like that." He said. She rolled her eyes again.

"We got all the supplies Glynda needed, why shouldn't we celebrate? It's not like we do this all the time." She said. He was quiet as they walked.

The building's around them began to illuminate as the twilight deepened. She groaned in annoyance as the mechanical voice spoke. Yeah, yeah, all Faunus have to be inside, whatever. She let go of Yatsu's arm, walking ahead of him a bit, stumbling slightly. They weren't too far away, they should be able to get back home soon…ish. She shrugged. As long as they didn't run into any police, she should be fine.

She slowed as two men in front of a building looked at her, their eyes narrowing at her ears. They stepped away from the building, stepping in front of her.

"Didn't ya hear? You're supposed to be home by now."

"Thought animals were good at listening to directions. You stupid or something?" She frowned, balling a hand into a fist. One of the men cocked an eyebrow, the other laughing. She heard Yatsu running up.

"What's with that stupid beret, you think we won't notice you're ears if you wear em like that?" the first man said. The other man sneered, holding out a hand, reaching for her beret.

Velvet yelled, her first slamming into the man's face, hurling him to the ground. The first man staggered back, his jaw dropping, his eyes shooting wide in fear. She lunged at him, grunting as she felt someone grab her from behind. She looked back; Yatsu had her in his arms, shaking his head. Velvet struggled against his grip, turning and scowling as she watched the two men flee.

* * *

He watched her pace, leaning against the wall of their apartment.

"You shouldn't have stopped me. Those guys-"

"Would have gotten the police involved. And we would be in prison." Velvet stopped, scowling at him.

"We're Hunters."

"And you're a Faunus." She stormed over to him, glaring up at him, her hands on her hips.

"So what, I'm supposed to just take crap like that? I'm supposed to just stay in my place?"

"No. But picking a fight with random bigots will not solve the issue. And given who you are, I don't want the police to have an excuse to…to…" Her expression softened as he trailed off. He sighed, looking away.

"If Coco was there… she'd have kicked their butts." She said. He looked back at her. She was looking at the floor, a far away look in her eyes. Her ears twitched beneath her beret. "If Fox was with us they wouldn't have even tried to mess with us."

He got off the wall, wrapping his arms around her, stroking her hair. She embraced him, holding him tight. She smelled of cheap liquor; Coco's favorite kind.

"Why?" she asked. "Why did it have to be them?"

He couldn't answer. She shook her head, her hair brushing against his arms.

"Why am I even here? I wanted to become a Hunter to help people. But everyone hates me. Everyone hates me over something I don't have control over." He squeezed as he felt her tremble. Her voice broke. "Why can't everyone be like Coco? Why are they all so hateful. Why are they all like this?"

He couldn't answer.

"I just want to help… why is that so hard?" she sniffled. "I wish… I wish I could go somewhere, and be able to just do that. I want people to look at me the way Coco, and Ruby, and Yang looked at me. I want to be a person." Yatsuhashi looked at their weapons leaning against the opposite wall.

He had an answer.

* * *

Glynda adjusted her glasses, her scroll in hand. Velvet and Yatsuhashi stood before her, wearing backpacks.

"You're sure that this is what you want to do?" she asked. Velvet nodded.

"Yatsuhashi was more sober then I was when we came up with the idea, but," she paused "Even after sobering up I thought it would probably be for the best." She shifted, resettling her backpack. "I think we'll be able to do more good in Vacuo. I'll be able to help more people without being held back by this curfew, or the humans being… well… the way they are." She said. Glynda sighed, but nodded her head. She smiled at them.

"You will be missed. But I hope that you'll find what you're looking for over there." Velvet nodded, smiling back. She played with her hands for a moment before lunging forward, embracing her. Yatsu lumbered over, joining the hug. Glynda smiled, closing her eyes, and hugging them, painting their faces into her memories. They broke the hug after a moment, Velvet beaming at her.

"When the CCT gets repaired, we'll make sure to keep in contact, Headmistress." Yatsuhashi said.

"It's just Glynda, for you two." Yatsu nodded politely, Velvet giggling.

"Thank you for everything… Glynda," Velvet said. Glynda smiled at them. They nodded at her one last time before turning to leave. She felt something slide down her cheek as she watched her children leave.

* * *

She slowly climbed the stairs, gripping the rail. She reached the top, glancing at her bedroom door, and then at the room further down the hallway. She hesitated for a moment before walking down the hallway, past her bedroom door. She stopped in front of hers, clenching and unclenching her hand as she looked at the door knob. She took a breath, and opened the door.

Ruby's room looked exactly the same. Those crimson walls covered in those band poster's she had saved up so much for. Her bookshelf crammed full of books and comics, a few figurine's of her favorite cartoon character's stacked there as well. Yang chuckled as she looked at the figurine of a girl in a frilly pink dress, the memory of the fight she had to win to pay for it replaying in her mind. Her bed wasn't made, the black comforter tossed lazily over the mattress. She sighed, her shoulder's slumping. Everything was coated in a fine layer of dust, the air stale and stagnant tasting.

She sat down on Ruby's bed, closing her eyes, gripping her knee.

Why?

Why did she leave?

Why does everyone always leave?

She shook her head, opening her eyes, looking at the remains of her arm.

Why would Ruby want to bring her along.

 _while you've been here, she's been out in the wilderness. she must be terrified. what a great older sister you are, moping around while she's out trying to help others._

She scowled.

 _when she needed you most you couldn't be there to help her._

"Where was she when _I_ needed her?" Yang growled.

 _out stopping the people who caused all of this. being the hero that she is. you're not the only person who needed her, she must have thought you'd understand that._

"She... she left me though…"

 _and she'd change it if she could. but she knows she has a job to do. just like summer did._

Yang's lips parted; that grave, those butterflies.

Yang gasped, a spark igniting, fire shooting through her body, her aura crackling around her, the end of her stump itching, burning. She staggered to her feet, gasping, sweat coating her, pain pulsating throughout her body, the end of her stump growing hotter. She fell to her knees, her eyes widening, clutching her head, every inch of her body sizzling, her blood searing as it coursed through her veins. She fell to the floor, thrashing on the ground, grasping her head, gasping and groaning in pain, every nerve burning.

 _I-!_

 _I won't-!_

 _I wont let Ruby end up like her!_

Yang screamed, squeezing her eyes shut as the flames consumed her. The flames shot through her body, firing to the remains of her arm, her screams growing louder as they burst forth. Her eyes snapped open, the fire in her body dying, flames sputtering from the end of her stump, elongating, sparks falling as it took a form. She grit her teeth, watching the flames contort, bending, and growing longer, forming a palm, digits extending out of it.

Her breathing was ragged, sweat dripping down her body as the flames began to calm. She swallowed, turning the flaming hand over, flexing the fingers, watching them move. She clenched her hand, watching the flames form a fist.

Yang smirked.

* * *

He patted down the soil, smiling as he buried the seeds. They should grow in well. He wiped at his brow, flicking the sweat away. He looked up as he heard the door open, his jaw dropping.

Yang stood on the porch, a fiery yellow arm forming from her stump. She rubbed the back of her head with the flaming arm, giving him a sheepish grin.

"You said you wanted to get to train me, right?" she asked. She brought the arm down, sparks leaping from it as she flexed her fingers.

Tai smiled, nodding at her as he got to his feet.

 **I originally wasn't going to include Velvet in the story past her last appearance but since we now know where she is in canon, I wanted to try and match it encase she shows up further down the storyline when RWBY get to Vacuo. I had some writer's block with this chapter so hope you like how it turned out.  
**


	70. Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back

**And here's the next chapter. A reader PM'd me stating that they think it would be a good idea for Scars to get it's own tvtropes page. I don't use that site myself and am unfamiliar with how it works but if anyone wants to do that I'm 100% okay with that being done.**

 **And to that anon that asked if parts of Yang's inner thoughts were pulled from** ** _Red Like Roses 2_** **, you would be correct, nice job catching that.**

Yang ducked under her father's swing, jabbing forward. He sidestepped, throwing a hook. She spun, catching the blow, embers leaping from her arm. Yang gasping as Tai's gripped her wrist, yanking her forward. She smirked, the flames dissipating, her aura shimmering around her, dodging her father's punch.

Fire shot from her stump, the arm reforming. Tai spun, Yang grunting as she ducked under his roundhouse. She yelled, slamming her flaming fist into his chest. Tai staggered back with a grunt, grimacing.

"That thing burns," he said. Yang snickered, looking down at the fiery limb. A summer breeze blew, a welcome feeling against her sweat drenched skin.

"It's made from my aura. Of course it's gonna burn." She said. Tai rolled his eyes.

"You're off balance," he said.

"What? No I-" She gasped, her arm dissipating, her aura shimmering as her father's fist slammed into her face. She grunted, ducking under his next swing, flames springing from her stump. She growled, sparks leaping from her hair as she jabbed her elbow at him, grunting as he caught it. She retched it free, swinging her leg, Tai grunting as he blocked. She kicked rapidly, growling as he ducked and blocked each kick. She lunged, hurling a punch. She gasped as he dodged, grabbing her wrist, his elbow shooting forward; she growled as she caught it, straining.

"I wasn't talking about your actual balance." She gasped as he swiped her leg out from underneath her, grunting as she hit the ground. Tai walked away, to the towels resting against a tree. "Though that needs some work too," he said smugly. He picked up a towel, starting to wipe the sweat off his face.

"Meaning?" she asked. He tossed her a towel, she caught it nimbly.

"I saw your fights in the Tournament." He said. "I've noticed it during our training as well." He lowered the towel, looking at her. "Do you know what your greatest weakness is when you fight?" he asked. Yang shook her head. "You let your emotions control you." Yang frowned.

"No I don't," she said. Tai chuckled, running the towel down his arms.

"In the fight against FNKI, you went berserk when you saw Weiss was hurt. In your fight with Mercury, when you started using your semblance against him, you were fighting like an animal. I haven't seen you reach those levels yet, but I can see the spark of it when we train. You let your anger consume you, and it blinds you while you're fighting."

"So?"

"So, that means you're leaving yourself open to an ass whooping. I know you get stronger with the more punishment you take but that doesn't mean you have to be some berserker. You need to keep a cool head when you fight, if you just give into your hatred, you'll end up hurting yourself." Tai looked away. Yang cocked her head to the side as he sighed. "I see a lot of her in you; you have that same rage." Yang clutched the towel, looking at the ground.

"Sorry," she said.

"Don't be." She looked up. Her father had his back to her. "Raven was great in so many ways. Her strength. Her ambition. Her tenacity." He looked back at her. "I see a lot of her in you, but I don't see all of her." Yang looked at the ground, opening and closing her hand. She took a breath.

"Why did she leave?" she asked. Tai was quiet for a moment, before sighing. She looked over at him, he was rubbing the back of his neck, not looking at her.

"There's a lot of stuff about your mom and Uncle Qrow you don't know." He said. He stopped rubbing his neck, crossing his arms. "Your mother was…. well… her and your uncle were part of a raider clan. Clan Branwen."

Yang's eyes widened, watching her father. R-raiders?

"When we found out she was pregnant with you, we decided to give up Hunting for a while. Live a normal domestic life and raise you. We moved in here," he motioned to their house "And first two years were all right." Tai clenched his hand, a faraway look in his eyes. "And I woke up one morning, and she was gone." He reached into his pockets, fishing out his wallet. He pulled out a slip of paper. He walked over to her, and held it out. Yang eyed it, glancing up at him before taking it. Her lips parted, feeling tears well.

 _Be strong. I know you can be._

 _\- Raven_

"She left that next to your crib. You were crying when I found it." Yang swallowed, the paper trembling in her hand. "I found out from Qrow that your grandmother, Eileen Branwen, passed a few weeks before your mom left. She kept it secret from me. She left us to lead her clan."

"W-why didn't she visit? She… she must have cared about me? Why…?" Yang trailed off. Tai closed his eyes.

"That's a question I can't answer. I asked myself that every night, every day. She had the means to visit us whenever she wanted. Why did she never come back?" Yang cocked her head to the side, wiping at her tears.

"What do you mean?" Tai opened and closed his hand.

"Your mother… her semblance allows her to instantly teleport to anyone who she has formed a bond with. She could have visited us any time she wanted."

 _visited any time she wanted_

 _any time she wanted_

Yang felt the tears slide down her cheeks, her stomach knotting as a tremor went through her body. She felt her father wrap his arms around her, saying something, his voice reassuring as she began to sob.

* * *

She took a deep breath, straightening her back. She exhaled, closing her eyes. She twirled, slamming the tip of her blade into the floor, hearing the glyph materialize.

She knitted her brow, her arms shaking. She opened her eyes, glaring at the glyph as it slowed to a halt. She sighed as the glyph died off.

"And attempt number fifty-five goes just as well as attempt number one." Weiss scowled, whirling, looking at her shattered mirror. Mirror was filing her nails, a bored look on her face.

"If you're not going to be of any help then just go away," Weiss said. Mirror looked up from her nails, cocking an eyebrow before rolling her eyes. The file disappeared, blue banners with Weiss' name written in white materializing. Mirror waved them around, whooping.

"Let's go, Weiss! Woo! If you can't do it, then everyone else can!" Mirror cheered. Weiss growled, glowering at Mirror as she started to snicker, dropping the flags. "Oh quit with that look; what else would you have me do? Positive reinforcement is not my forte."

"Am I interrupting something?"

Weiss looked over at her door; Whitley stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame. Weiss frowned.

"What do you want, Whitley?"

"I just wanted to see how your training was going. It must be difficult in such a confined space." Weiss cocked her head to the side.

"You've never been interested in my training before." She sheathed her sword, crossing her arms. "Why are you really here?" Whitley shrugged, getting off the doorframe and walking into the room.

"I must admit, I'm not all that interested in your training. I find our family Semblance useless and the Hunters are nothing more than barbarians doing a job any well trained military can take care of." He reached into his pocket, pulling out a white object. He flicked his thumb, a silver blade popping out. He looked at it with a bored expression. "Why need all of that training when an average person can't even withstand something as simple as this? It's a fruitless venture in my opinion, dear sister." He pocketed the knife, slowly walking towards her, resting his hands behind his back.

"I came to warn you," he said. Weiss cocked an eyebrow.

"Of?"

"Father will be taking me into the City next weakened. I'll be joining him in a meeting with all of his CEO's. He plans on officially making me the Heir to the company during that meeting." He stopped in front of her. He grabbed her shoulder, gripping it, leaning forward, his voice a whisper. "I would think it wise that you be gone by then, dear sister." He leaned back, smiling at her. His eyes were cold. Weiss broke out of his grip, stepping away.

"Whitley… what are you doing?" she asked. He chuckled.

"You know me, Weiss. I'm not one to tip my hand. I just wanted to give you a heads up; it might help you find the spark you need in your training." He turned to leave, his shoes clicking against the tile. He stopped at the doorway, looking back at her. "I do believe Mr. Winchester will be there." He smiled. "I'll make sure to send him your regards."

The door clicked shut as Whitley left. Weiss frowned, narrowing her eyes as she heard him walk down the hallway.

She exhaled, turning away from her door and drawing her sword. She took her stance, hearing Mirror's fake cheering as she plunged her sword into the floor once more. The glyph materialized, spinning, expanding. She grit her teeth, a bead of sweat trickling down, the room beginning to shake. Her bookshelf shook, books falling onto the floor, the glass in her window rattling.

 _Think back to you fallen foes, Weiss! The one's who pushed you past your limits, the ones who broke you and helped in your rebirth! Think of them, Weiss! Watch as they come to your side!_

The glyph spun faster, faster, sweat dampening her dress, her muscles burning. Thick, ghostly blue fog and mist seeped from her glyph, the light of the glyph growing brighter and brighter the faster it spun.

Weiss gasped, throwing an arm over her face as the glyph shattered, the window shattering, glass spraying into the air. Blue smoke filled the room, drifting past her. She lowered her arm, a smile tugging at her lips.

A mound of armor sat before her. It lifted its head, its piercing white eyes meeting hers. The Knight stood, fog parting. The Knight drew its sword, embedding its blade into the floor, and bowed its head to her.

Weiss' smiled grew. She bowed her head back before looking out the shattered remains of her window.

She was ready.

* * *

She sat on her bed, her knees tucked against her chest. She stared at the plate, bile at the back of her throat as she looked at the putrid food. She lifted her head up as the door to her room opened. Cinder stood in the doorway, cocking her head to the side as she looked at the plate. Her voice was raspy, a wraithy, frog like sound.

"Why aren't you eating?" she asked.

"I… I'm not hungry." She said. Cinder narrowed her eye.

"When you first started working for me, all you did was eat. You were hungry all the time." She rested her hand on her hip. "What's the real reason?"

Emerald looked back at the plate, grimacing. The vegetables looked rotted; a sickening black, spiky and hard. The meat reeked, dark slices of an animal Emerald couldn't place. It hadn't killed her, but this… it didn't feel right taking all of that in so often. She shook her head, tucking her head back down against her knees, her voice muffled.

"I… I don't know if this is what I signed up for." She mumbled. Cinder glared at her.

"Would you rather be sifting through the trash, ripping off stores again?" Cinder asked. Emerald shook her head.

"I wouldn't, no. I'm thankful for you, Cinder. You made my life so much better, you saved me. But this-" she motioned to the plate of food, to the bed, to the walls around them, "I-I don't think I'm ready. Stealing Dust and killing a few people is one thing, but… the Fall… the Maidens. It's…" she trailed off. Cinder's stare was pointed.

"It's what this world deserves." Her lip curled over her teeth, her brow furrowing. "I wouldn't expect someone who had a life as easy as yours to realize what Salem is doing is necessary." Emerald flinched at the words, Cinder looking away, flames consuming her hand, her lip twitching. Cinder shook her head, turning and leaving, not looking back.

Emerald sighed. She gave the plate a disgusted look before getting to her feet, leaving her room.

The hallway was a dark void; the floors, ceilings, and walls the same shade of black, the bone candles doing nothing to brighten the path. She played with her hands, her throat dry as she passed a Domehead. It said nothing, its featureless face watching her, its neck craning as it turned to watch her pass.

She didn't look back at it, hearing it's clicking like growl, the sound sending ice down her spine. She kept moving, keeping her hands close, looking ahead in the dark void of the hallway. Her eyes widened, a small orange glow was hovering down the hallway, a low, guttural hiss and the sound of limbs being dragged against the floor accompanying the glow.

She opened the nearest door, sliding in and shutting the door behind her. She backed away from it, her heart thumping in her chest, watching orange light pass underneath the door. She swallowed, the sound drifting off. Those Grimm were never any easier to see.

She turned around, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the miniscule light. Bookshelves towered around her, overflowing with cracked leather tomes, a musky scent in the air. Dull purple lanterns burned throughout, casting the room in a violet haze. She glanced at the door before going to one of the shelves, grabbing a tome. Dust flew as she cracked it open, the spine creaking as she flipped through the pages. She didn't recognize the words, the faded ink written in a language she didn't understand; the same as the ones on the tapestries in front of Salem's Hall.

Emerald set the tome back, coughing at the dust. She looked away, cocking her head to the side; a communion table sat the end of the room, flowers sitting within glass domes. She went to the table, running a hand over the dust covered plaques in front of each flower.

DIETES

AMARYLLIS

LOTUS

ROSE

She squinted, leaning forward, looking closer at the flowers. Her eyes widened, her mouth falling open, scrambling back, a scream catching in her throat.

"Afraid of what you see, child?"

Emerald spun, her breathing erratic. _She_ stood in the doorway. Salem closed the door behind her, slowly striding forward, the lights in the room being sucked away as she approached.

"I-I-" Salem held up a hand, Emerald closed her mouth. The air around her grew colder, goosebumps shooting up her arms, her breath coming out in a silver mist as Salem stopped next to her. Salem didn't look at her, looking at the flowers, her face emotionless.

"You know who these belonged to, don't you?" Salem asked. Emerald shook her head. Salem exhaled. "My people, the _Trucii_ , we were hunted like sport by the Silver Eyed Demons during our final wars with the humans." Salem frowned, the sight sending a knot in Emerald's gut. "Warriors Touched by God, they called themselves." She shook her head. "For the past several millennia I have made sure to hunt them down. Every. Last. One." She pointed at the flowers, her robe falling back as she motioned to each one. "Each of those are made from a little piece I saved from every member of that family." She chuckled, Emerald's blood turning to ice.

Salem turned, resting her hands together in front of her, looking at her, her blood like eyes glowing in the darkness.

"Why are you afraid, little one?" she asked.

"W-why…?" Salem cocked her head to the side. Emerald couldn't look at those piercing red eyes. "Why did all of those people have to die? Couldn't you have…. Have just gotten the Maiden's powers and the Relic and leave them alone? Why do all of that?" Salem was quiet for a moment.

"There is not a single person alive on Remnant who can remember the atrocities your kind did to mine. Of the streets of our kingdoms running black with our blood. Of the children slaughtered in their parents arms. Of the scores of dead left by the Demons." Emerald wouldn't look at her. "It's only right that the humans get a taste of the torment my kind suffered."

Her breath hitched as she felt Salem grip her shoulder. She looked up, into the blood red.

"I have waited a long time to have a chance to enact these plans, little one. I have had to hunt the Demons for thousands of years to ensure their demise. You, like all of my other followers, will be spared when I remake this world." Salem smiled, her teeth sharp, Emerald's heart slamming against her chest. "You have nothing to fear, dear child."

* * *

Blake grunted, leaping to the next tree, the Figure not stopping, not looking back. She heard the Figure gasp, Sun yelling as he leapt down from a tree. The Figure leapt out of the way, Sun gasped, grunting as he crashed through the foliage.

She leapt past Sun, hearing him stagger to his feet and start running after her. The tree line thinned, the Figure jumping from the trees and onto the rooftops, sprinting. Blake leapt, gritting her teeth as she tumbled against the hard roof, and sprinted after them, drawing her pistol.

She fired, the Figure yelping as the bullet rushed past, glancing back as they ran. Blake fired, the Figure jumping aside, skidding against the shingles before leaping onto a nearby building. Blake snarled, jumping onto the next building, chasing after them, water flying as she ran through puddles.

The Figure slid underneath a set of pipes, springing to their feet and spinning around, swinging an electric whip. Blake gasped, steam spraying forth. She dashed forward, grunting as the boiling heat washed over her. She slid to a stop, raising her pistol, electricity leaping from the Figure's whip.

"Why were you spying on me? Who sent you?" she demanded. The Figure stepped back, Blake narrowed her eyes at the scroll in their hand.

The Figure spun around as Sun leapt onto the roof top, his staff drawn. Sun yelled, ducking aside as the Figure's whip shot past his head.

Blake lunged, the Figure gasping, spinning to face her, grunting as Blake's pistol slammed into their head. She swung up, smashing the gun against their mask; she punched forward, grunting as their arm shot up, blocking her. Blake fired, yanking her arm free, firing as she punched, the Figure growling as they parried, bullets raining around their head.

She grunted as the Figure's boot slammed into her stomach, knocking her back. The Figure lunged, swinging down. Blake dashed aside, spinning, and kicking the scroll from their hand. It slid across the roof, teetering on the edge.

"Sun! Grab it!" Blake shouted. Sun nodded, rushing over to it.

Blake ducked, electricity sparking over her, and jabbed forward, the Figure grunting. Blake's knee shot up, slamming into their stomach, the Figure buckling over; Blake swung, firing as it slammed into their face. The Figure screamed, their aura crackling, their mask shattering, crumbling apart. Blake froze, stepping back, the gun shaking in her hand.

"I-Ilia?"

Ilia looked up, snarling, blood running down her face, a gash across her forehead.

"You shouldn't have come back," she growled. She spun around, whirling her whip, lightning dancing. The whip slashed across Sun's back; he screamed, his body locking up, electricity shooting through his body as his aura shattered. He slumped to the floor, smoke drifting off his body, blood staining his shirt. Ilia turned and leapt off the roof.

"Sun!" Blake screamed. Blake ran forward, skidding on her knees. Sun was twitching, blood running down his back.

 _No, no, no!_

"Somebody!" Blake screamed. "Help! Somebody please help!"

* * *

She trudged through the swamp, her arms sore, the stretcher biting into her hands. She heard her uncle groaning, the stretcher shaking as another coughing fit hit.

"Raven… Raven… I… I had no other choice…" Qrow's voice was hoarse. Ruby glanced back at him, grimacing at the purple mucus staining his chin and shirt. Pyrrha's face was solemn, not looking at Qrow. Ruby looked ahead; Ren was further up.

"How much farther?" she asked. Ren looked up from the map, looking back at her.

"We're close." He said. Ren looked ahead, seeming to slow down before pocketing the map, running forward.

"What is it?" she asked. Ren came to a stop, looking up at a wooden sign post. Ren stiffened, a pink glow radiating around him. Nora rushed past them, slinging her hammer onto her back as she joined Ren's side, grabbing his hand, resting a hand on his shoulder.

She reached them a moment later, the sign post situated at a fork in the road. More swamp lay to their left, the path to the right steeply inclining, mountains visible in the distance. She looked at the sign.

Mistral -

\- Kuroyuri

"Mistral City is just past the mountains," Ren said. Ruby looked back as her uncle started coughing. She bit her lip.

"We can't all make that passage," Pyrrha said.

"That other town, Kuroyuri, we can go there, and get a doctor, and reach Mistral that way." Ruby said. Ren frowned, balling a fist, the pink glow brightening.

"You'll find nothing. It was destroyed years ago," he said.

"Okay but, there should still maybe be medicine! Something to help him!"

"There is nothing there! You won't find anything!" Ren yelled, the pink glow dissipating. Ruby was taken back. Nora tightened the grip on Ren's hand, and stepped in front of him.

"Let's split up. We'll go through the mountains, you two go through the village. We'll have a better lay of the land once we're up there and may be able to get Mistral to send help."

"We shouldn't be splitting up," Pyrrha said. They looked back at her. "It's safer in a group." Nora nodded.

"It is, but we don't have time for safe."

They looked back as Qrow hacked and coughed, violet spittle flying out. He groaned, tossing and turning in the stretcher. Pyrrha sighed, lowering the stretcher. She went to Ren and Nora, embracing them.

"Be safe you two." She said. Ren and Nora nodded. They broke the hug a moment later, nodding at Pyrrha before turning and running up the mountain path. Pyrrha sighed, and returned to the stretcher, hoisting it back up. "Lead the way," Pyrrha said.

Ruby nodded, marching down the swampy path. It was quiet as they walked, not a single animal or insect, not a single breeze. She saw large prints in the mud; unsure of what they were. She sighed, closing her eyes.

 _I wasn't, and I don't know who did it. I was doing a job for Salem, and got back to find your mom's body. I managed to sneak it out, and bring it back home._

She opened her eyes and glanced down, at the silver rose necklace dangling around her neck, resting on her chest. She frowned, glancing back as her uncle started coughing again.

Her mother's grave was empty.

 **Next chapter is going to cover the life of Summer Rose, and the tragedy of Team STRQ.**


End file.
